U kraine is reeling from a deadly Russian missile strike that killed at least 18 people — including nine children — in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, in one of the deadliest attacks in recent weeks.
The ballistic missile hit a densely populated residential area near a children’s playground on Friday evening, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Authorities confirmed that 61 people were injured in the attack, with 12 children among the wounded.
“This is a mass murder of civilians,” said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s military administration. “Children, families, the elderly — they were all deliberately targeted.”
Graphic images from the scene showed lifeless bodies scattered around mangled playground equipment — a haunting reminder of the human cost of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak called the strike an “unbearable tragedy” and expressed the nation’s collective grief.
Russia Claims Military Target, Ukraine Calls It a War Crime
While Russia’s defence ministry claimed it had targeted a restaurant where Ukrainian military commanders and Western advisors were meeting, Ukrainian officials dismissed the statement as disinformation.
“This was not a military operation. This was a war crime,” a Ukrainian military spokesperson stated, accusing Russia of spreading false narratives to justify civilian massacres.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 92 drones across the country overnight. Of those, 51 were intercepted — a stark illustration of the scale and intensity of Russia’s ongoing aerial assault.
Zelensky: “These Are Not Humans”
President Zelensky, visibly shaken during a televised address, described the attackers as “bastards” and “not human,” stating that the strike further proved Russia’s disinterest in any genuine ceasefire efforts.
“The world sees it. Every attack like this makes Russia’s position clearer — they do not want peace,” Zelensky said.
He recently held talks in Kyiv with French and British military leaders to discuss forming a multinational “reassurance force” in anticipation of a potential peace agreement — a signal that Ukraine’s allies are preparing for both continued resistance and long-term security arrangements.
A Personal Blow to the President
Kryvyi Rih, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, has been hit multiple times throughout the war. But Friday’s strike carried personal weight: it struck the hometown of Zelensky, a city of roughly 600,000 before the war — now scarred by grief and rubble.
The tragedy has reignited calls for stronger international support and accountability for Russian war crimes. As Ukraine observes days of mourning, the loss of innocent lives once again underscores the brutal reality faced by civilians living under the shadow of war.
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