Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that at least eight people, including children, died in a recent Russian missile and drone assault targeting areas near his hometown of Kryvyi Rih.
The attack involved more than 70 missiles and over 280 drones launched overnight, causing significant damage to civilian homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
Casualties and Damage
- Six people, including a six-year-old girl and two boys aged 11 and 17, were killed when a ballistic missile struck a family home in the village of Radushne.
- Two private residences were completely destroyed, with the targeted house described as "blown into smithereens."
- Eight others were wounded, including an 84-year-old woman hospitalized and two children rescued alive from the rubble.
Wider Impact and Regional Concerns
The capital Kyiv also suffered casualties and fires, with one fatality and damage to several non-residential buildings. Poltava reported a death following an attack on a postal terminal, while Lviv experienced explosions damaging residential areas and injuring multiple people.
In a related incident, a suspected Russian missile crossed into Polish territory, creating a 10-meter crater in Lublin province near Tarnawa-Kolonia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk indicated the missile was likely a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, violating NATO airspace. Polish forces responded by mobilizing fighter jets to monitor the airspace during the strikes.
Context and Ongoing Conflict
This wave of attacks followed Zelensky's recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, where he requested a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses. The Patriot system is one of the few capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Russia has increasingly used in its bombardments.
Meanwhile, Russia reported an attack on a warehouse of the Wildberries retailer in Penza, injuring one person, highlighting the ongoing tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries.
