Children among 18 killed in Russian attack on Zelensky's home city

A Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has claimed the lives of at least 18 people and injured dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials.

Nine of those killed were children, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is originally from Kryvyi Rih. Local authorities reported that a ballistic missile had struck a residential neighborhood.

Photos showed at least one victim in a playground, while video footage revealed a large section of a 10-storey apartment building destroyed and casualties lying in the street.

Russia’s defense ministry later claimed that a "high-precision missile strike" had targeted a gathering of "unit commanders and Western instructors" in a restaurant, alleging up to 85 deaths—though it provided no supporting evidence.

Ukraine's military dismissed the claim, accusing Russia of spreading disinformation to "cover up its cynical crime."

Officials said Moscow had launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with a cluster warhead to inflict maximum casualties.

The Friday evening strike was one of the deadliest attacks on Kryvyi Rih since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. It comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push for a ceasefire.

President Zelensky shared on social media that at least five buildings were damaged in Friday’s missile strike, stating, “There is only one reason why this continues: Russia doesn't want a ceasefire, and we see it.”

Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rih's defense, confirmed that the missile struck a residential area. “The missile exploded in the air... to injure more people,” he said. “Children were killed on or near a playground.”

Serhii Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, reported that over 40 people received medical treatment, including a baby just three months old.

Later that evening, Vilkul said the city came under a "mass" drone attack, causing fires in at least four areas.

One elderly woman died in a private home, hit by a drone, while five others were injured in separate incidents.

Earlier in the day, top military officials from the UK and France met with Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss potential plans for deploying foreign peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a proposed ceasefire agreement.

However, despite diplomatic efforts, there has been little indication of a reduction in hostilities.

Kryvyi Rih was also targeted earlier in the week when a central building was hit, resulting in four deaths.

On Thursday, Russian drone strikes in the northeastern city of Kharkiv killed another five people, according to local officials.