Russian missile strike kills four in Zelensky’s hometown
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Wednesday killed at least four people and injured nine others in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to officials.
Authorities said the attack targeted civilian infrastructure, causing a massive fire and prompting emergency response efforts.
Oleksandr Vikul, the head of Kryvyi Rig's military administration, stated that the missile strike led to significant destruction.
A video circulating on social media, which has not been verified, showed smoke and flames billowing from a damaged industrial structure with debris scattered around.
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak later confirmed the death toll had reached four.
Among those injured were a 29-year-old woman and two men aged 35 and 41, he said.
The strike came hours after an overnight drone assault hit Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, leaving one person dead and injuring at least 12 others, according to local officials.
In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian strike on cars parked outside a house killed a 45-year-old man, regional military administration head Ivan Federov reported.
Kharkiv was also hit by drone attacks, with five people wounded.
The head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Oleg Syniegubov, stated that emergency crews responded to the destruction.
An AFP reporter on the ground witnessed firefighters attempting to put out a blaze in the city, with thick black smoke rising from a damaged building.
Zelensky said Russia had launched 74 drones across Ukraine, describing the attacks as part of a broader strategy.
He accused Moscow of disregarding diplomatic attempts to resolve the conflict.
"Putin does not even want to ensure a partial ceasefire. What's needed is new and tangible pressure on Russia to put this war on a path towards ending," Zelensky stated.
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial strikes, even as diplomatic efforts continue.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire between the two nations, though hostilities show no signs of abating.
Rescue operations continued in Kryvyi Rig following the attack, as authorities worked to assess the full extent of the damage.