WEBDESK: A tragic missile strike hit Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Zelensky, on April 4, killing at least 16 people, including six children. Over 50 others were injured in the attack, which struck near a children’s playground in a residential area.
The missile, launched by Russian forces, caused massive damage to five apartment buildings. Eyewitnesses reported smoke rising from the buildings and shared heartbreaking images and videos of the destruction on social media.
“It was preliminarily a ballistic missile attack. As of now, 16 people have been killed, including six children,” President Zelensky said on Telegram.
The rescue operation was ongoing, he added.
“There is only one reason why this continues — Russia does not want a ceasefire and we see it. The whole world sees it,” he said.
“And only the world’s pressure on Russia, all efforts to strengthen Ukraine, our air defence, our forces — only this will determine when the war will end.” The Ukrainian leader was born in Kryvyi Rig, which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people.
This is not the first time Kryvyi Rih has been targeted. Just two days earlier, on Wednesday, another missile strike in the same city killed four people and injured several others. The Ukrainian Interior Minister, Igor Klymenko, described the latest attack as a war crime and highlighted how civilians and residential areas are being deliberately targeted.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that the United States would not waste time in negotiations if Russia does not show serious intent toward peace.
The strike has once again put President Zelensky’s leadership in the spotlight, as he navigates the ongoing war and seeks stronger global action to defend Ukraine.
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