Subhechcha Ganguly 
The death toll from a devastating Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 18, with nine children among the dead, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. The attack, which occurred on Friday, also left at least 61 people injured, ranging from a 3-month-old infant to elderly residents. Authorities report that 40 people remain hospitalized, including two children in critical condition and 17 others in serious condition.
Local officials said the missile hit a densely populated area, damaging around 20 apartment buildings, over 30 vehicles, a restaurant, and an educational facility. The blast reportedly struck near residential buildings, impacting a playground and surrounding streets.
“There can never be forgiveness for this,” said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s defense council. “Eternal memory to the victims.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hails from Kryvyi Rih, condemned the attack in a post on Telegram, stating, “The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings — hitting a playground and ordinary streets.”
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for the strike, asserting it was a “high-precision missile strike” targeting a restaurant where a meeting was allegedly taking place between Ukrainian unit commanders and Western military instructors. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the presence of such a meeting.
This attack marks one of the deadliest in recent weeks, further escalating tensions as the war continues to inflict heavy civilian casualties across Ukraine.
