Russian missile strike kills 18, including nine children, in Zelenskyy's hometown

A Russian ballistic missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr , has killed 18 people, including nine children, local officials confirmed on Friday.

The missile hit a residential area close to a children’s playground, injuring more than 60 others, among them 12 children, according to Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak. “This is the kind of pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy,” Lysak wrote on Telegram, as reported by AFP.

Unverified footage circulating on social media appeared to show bodies lying motionless on the street, with smoke rising from the impact zone.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that a “precision strike with a high-explosive missile” had been carried out on a restaurant where, according to , Ukrainian military commanders and Western instructors were meeting.

Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said five apartment buildings were damaged in the attack. Police cordoned off the area to maintain order and collect evidence. “The police are documenting the consequences of Russia’s war crime and accepting statements from the victims,” he said.

In a separate drone assault on the same city, Lysak said one additional civilian was killed and three others injured.

Tragic and inhumane images coming out from Kryvyi Rih.

Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area, reportedly killing at least 14, including 6 children.

Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace.

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) April 4, 2025

President Zelenskyy, who was born and raised in Kryvyi Rih — an industrial city that had a pre-war population of around 600,000 — strongly condemned the strike. “There is only one reason why this continues — Russia does not want a ceasefire and we see it. The whole world sees it,” he stated.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, a resolution remains elusive. AFP reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire earlier this year. The Kremlin has also tied any potential Black Sea truce to the lifting of certain Western sanctions.

US President Donald Trump has pushed for a swift end to the war since taking office but has so far failed to broker a peace deal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the administration would not be drawn into protracted negotiations without clear signals from Russia. “We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not,” Rubio said.

Kryvyi Rih, located roughly 60 kilometres from the front line, has been a repeated target of Russian drone and missile attacks over the course of the conflict.

As emergency services continue their response, the city mourns yet another devastating blow in a war that shows no sign of ending.