By Victor Akan
A Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has left at least 18 people dead, in what is being described as one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.
According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, the strike targeted a gathering of Ukrainian troops and foreign military instructors.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly condemned the attack, demanding increased international efforts to curb Russian aggression.
The strike occurred in Kryvyi Rih, a central Ukrainian city and the hometown of President Zelensky. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed in a Telegram statement that the missile targeted a building where both Ukrainian servicemen and foreign officers were meeting.
The ministry said up to 85 people were killed or injured, and up to 20 military vehicles were destroyed.
However, Ukrainian officials presented a far grimmer picture. President Zelensky stated that the missile had hit a residential building, resulting in the deaths of 14 civilians, including six children.
He described the devastation as shocking and called the attack one of the most violent carried out by Russia this year.
Governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lysak, confirmed that the strike had inflicted severe damage on residential blocks. Images and videos circulating online showed scenes of destruction—rubble-strewn streets, burning buildings, and injured civilians lying by the roadside. Thick plumes of dark smoke were seen rising above the city.
Local authorities reported that more than 50 people had been injured in the attack, with over 30 admitted to hospitals. Emergency services continued rescue operations amid fears that the death toll could rise further.
President Zelensky, writing on Telegram, expressed his anger and sorrow, accusing Russia of deliberately targeting civilians and showing no interest in peace. “The whole world sees it. Each missile, every attack drone proves that Russia seeks only war,” he said.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, echoed the sentiment, stating that Russia’s continued attacks had exposed the inadequacy of the global response. He urged world leaders to step up their efforts to pressure Moscow into agreeing to a peaceful resolution. “We need to put an end to this terror, protect people, and force Russia into peace,” Sybiha said.
Though Russia maintains that it does not deliberately target civilians, incidents like the Kryvyi Rih strike have repeatedly raised questions about its true objectives. Civilian areas across Ukraine continue to bear the brunt of airstrikes, with thousands of non-combatants killed or injured since the war began.
Just days before the Kryvyi Rih strike, the United States had announced a tentative agreement between Moscow and Kyiv to avoid targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. It was seen as a modest step towards de-escalation following President Trump’s pledge to end the war swiftly.
However, the latest missile strike appears to have undermined any hope of immediate progress. The situation remains tense, with global attention now fixed on whether stronger international measures will follow Ukraine’s urgent appeal.
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