A Russian missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih killed 18 people, including nine children, officials said. The missile hit a residential area near a children’s playground, leaving over 20 others injured.
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A Russian missile hit the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday, killing 18 people, including nine children, officials said. Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The missile struck a neighbourhood near a children’s playground and injured over 20 others, according to local authorities.
Videos on social media — not yet verified — showed bodies on the street and smoke rising into the sky.
“Eighteen… that is how many people were killed by the Russians when they launched a missile at Kryvyi Rih. Among them were nine children,” Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram.
He said 61 people were injured in the attack, among them 12 children.
“This is the kind of pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy,” Lysak added.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it launched a targeted missile strike on a restaurant in Kryvyi Rih, claiming it was hosting Ukrainian commanders and Western military advisers. In a separate drone attack on the city, one person was killed and three others injured, local officials said.
‘Russia has no interest in peace’: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was born in Kryvyi Rih, said the attack showed that Russia had no interest in peace. “This war continues for one reason — Russia does not want a ceasefire. The world can see that,” he said.
Former US President Donald Trump has pushed for a quick end to the war since taking office, but his administration has not been able to secure a ceasefire, despite talks with both sides. The Kremlin recently rejected a full ceasefire proposal from the US and Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump would not be drawn into “endless negotiations” with Moscow and warned that Russia must show its commitment to peace within weeks.
Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city around 60 kilometres from the front line, has been frequently targeted by Russian missile and drone attacks. The latest strike hit near a children’s playground and damaged several apartment buildings.
Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said police had cordoned off the area and were collecting evidence. “We are documenting Russia’s war crime and helping the victims,” he said.
Videos from the scene showed a burning car and people shouting in panic. Officials said the missile used was a Russian Iskander — a short-range ballistic missile capable of hitting targets up to 500 kilometres away.
“This was a deliberate attack to kill civilians,” said Ukrainian official Andriy Kovalenko.
In his nightly address, Zelensky said Russia sees diplomacy as meaningless. “A ceasefire was possible, but Putin refuses to agree,” he said.