Russia has faced international condemnation for a missile attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, in which a children’s playground was hit, killing nine children.
Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces struck a residential part of the city of Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, with an Iskander-M ballistic missile on Friday night as well as Iranian-made Shahed drones.
At least 19 people were killed and 68 injured, according to Ukrainian media. The same evening, the Russians attacked Kryvyi Rih again, causing a fire in a residential area, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The attack follows U.S.-led shuttle diplomacy with Russian and Ukrainian delegations, which was hoped would usher a breakthrough in the three-year-long war. The strike on Zelensky’s hometown deals a blow to any immediate prospect of peace.
What to Know
A combined missile and drone attack on the city in the Dnipropetrovsk region set buildings ablaze in residential districts on Friday and a children’s playground was located near the scene of the strike.
There were nine children killed in the strike, according to Ukrainian media. Among the dead was a 3-year-old named by local media as Tymofii. Reports said that attempts to resuscitate the boy had failed.
At the time of the explosion, the boy and his grandmother were returning home from the playground.
European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas called the strike “tragic and inhumane” as the continent’s leaders said it showed the need for greater military support for Ukraine.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans wrote on X that compared with the rest of Europe, “Ukrainians are living in a different reality.” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said it showed that Russia seeks war, with such attacks against civilians, which include children.
Thee days of mourning have been declared in the city starting Monday, with Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih City Defense Council, saying it was “nothing more than a massacre of civilians.”
Zelensky said that the attack, along with a strike on a thermal power plant in the Kherson region, showed the need for continued international pressure on Russia for a ceasefire, which has been rejected by Putin.
Zelensky said he was “unpleasantly surprised” by the response from the U.S. Embassy, which refrained from using the word “Russian” in its comment on the strike.
The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Russian strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure under the cover of the ceasefire on energy strikes were detrimental to establishing peace.
What People Are Saying
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky on X: “Firing a missile at a children’s playground—this is not war, this is barbarism.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “These strikes cannot be accidental—the Russians know exactly what they’re hitting.”
What Happens Next
Zelensky’s comments suggest that Kyiv does not expect a ceasefire any time soon, despite the negotiations in March.
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