Kyyiv: In a recent attack, Russian missile strike has killed 18 people, including nine children, in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian officials reported.
Kryvyi Rih, a city of around 600,000 people in eastern Ukraine, lies near the front lines and has faced multiple attacks since the war began. Local authorities stated that the latest assault involved a ballistic missile strike that targeted a residential area. Graphic images and videos from the scene show victims lying in the streets and a ten-story building reduced to rubble. One child was seen lying in a playground.
Ukraine's military accused Russia of using an Iskander-M ballistic missile armed with a cluster warhead to maximize casualties. They strongly rejected Russian claims and called the attack a deliberate war crime.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense, in a statement following the incident, claimed the strike targeted a meeting of Ukrainian unit commanders and Western instructors at a local restaurant, alleging 85 people were killed. However, no evidence was provided to support this claim.
President Zelensky said on social media that at least five buildings were destroyed in Friday’s attack. He condemned the assault as another horrific example of Russian brutality, especially as it struck his childhood hometown.
