Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 19 people, including 9 children, injures 74

Russia's missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed 19 people, including nine children, according to local authorities. Seventy four were reportedly injured.

Russian forces reportedly launched a combined missile and drone attack on the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast city in the evening, setting buildings ablaze in residential districts.

"Sixty-eight people were injured in the terrorist attacks, ranging from a three-month-old child to elderly individuals," Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rih's military administration, said on April 5.

According to Vilkul, 40 people have been hospitalized as a result of the attack. Two children, aged five and eight, are reportedly in critical condition.

"Doctors are fighting for their lives and providing all necessary assistance," he said.

The attack reportedly damaged 34 apartment buildings and six educational facilities, as well as various shops, businesses, cars, and homes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attack: ""Russian strikes every day. Every day, people are killed. There is only one reason this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it."

"Every Russian promise ends with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And that’s why pressure is needed — sufficient pressure on Russia so they feel the consequences of every lie of theirs, every strike, every single day they take lives and prolong the war," Zelensky said.

Several European leaders condemned the attack.

"Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace," European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas wrote on X, calling the attack "tragic and inhumane."

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attack on Kryvyi Rih was targeted at a military gathering, a claim the Ukrainian military dismissed as "false information."

Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, remains a frequent target of Russian attacks. The city, home to about 660,000 people, is the second-largest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and lies roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the front line.

European leaders condemn Russia’s deadly attack on Kryvyi Rih

“Another reckless Russian attack struck a crowded residential area... Russia continues to destroy Ukraine, no interest in peace,” European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas wrote on X.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk