19 killed, dozens injured in Russian missile attack on Ukraine
- 5 April, 10:56
Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on central Ukrainian city of Ryvyi Rih on Friday, killing at least 19 people, including 9 children. The missile hit a residential area in Krivyi Rih, which is hometown to Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskiy. Writing on social media, Zelenskiy said at least five buildings had been damaged in the attack in Krivyi Rih located in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukraine’s army said Russia had fired an Iskander-M ballistic missile with a cluster warhead to maximise casualties. Video footage circulated on local media showed a large section of a 10-storey block of flats destroyed and victims lying on the road.
"There is only one reason why this continues: Russia doesn't want a ceasefire, and we see it,” Zeleskiy said. The head of Kryvyi Rih's defence, Oleksandr Vilkul explained that “the missile exploded in the air to injure more people. Children were killed on or near a playground.” The head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhii Lysak, said over 40 people were hospitalised and the youngest was only three months old.
Later on Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed a "high-precision missile strike" had targeted a meeting of "unit commanders and Western instructors" in a restaurant, and that up to 85 were killed. It provided no evidence.
Friday’s missile strike on Krivyi Rih was the deadliest attack on the city that has been frequently targeted since the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion in February 2022.
