The hometown of Volodymyr Zelensky is reeling today after a Russian missile strike killed 18 people, including nine children.
Heartbreaking images show devastated locals of Kryvyi Rih leaving flowers and toys at a playground where Russian missiles struck yesterday evening.
A 10-storey block of flats was also wrecked in the attack on the city where Zelensky grew up, leaving a further 61 people injured and 40 in hospital.
This is the second time Russia has targeted Kryvyi Rih this week, as hopes of potential ceasefire between the warring countries continues to fade away.
Zelensky reacted to the bombing raid by saying Russia’s ‘meanness’ must not go unignored.
He added: ‘My condolences to all the families and loved ones.
‘The missile hit directly on a street – surrounded by ordinary homes, a children’s playground, shops, and a restaurant.
‘There is simply no deeper cynicism, meanness, or hatred for people than what Russia embodies now.
‘It is very important that this Russian attack on people, on a city – and every such attack – does not go unanswered by the world.
‘Stopping the killing of people, saving children’s lives, and establishing lasting peace is only possible through strength and coordinated action from partners.’
There were 20 apartment buildings and more than 30 vehicles damaged in the explosions.
Kryvyi Rih sits about 40 miles from the front line in eastern Ukraine and has a 600,000-strong population.
Russia, on the other hand, claimed Friday the attack was a high-precision missile strike on a restaurant where a meeting between unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place.
Their military said 85 military personnel and foreign officers had been killed, but offered no evidence of this.
Kryvyi Rih was also bombarded earlier this week when a building in the centre was struck, leaving four people dead.
Russia ramped up its barrage on Ukraine as British and French military chiefs met Zelensky in Kyiv earlier on Friday to discuss plans for foreign peacekeepers in the country.
Chief of the defence staff Sir Tony Radakin posted an image of him meeting Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital.
He said: ‘Britain and France are coming together and Europe is stepping up in a way that is real and substantial, with 200 planners from 30 nations working to strengthen Ukraine’s long term security.’
While the two countries are pushing a ‘coalition of the willing’ to keep Ukraine secure in the event of a peace deal with Russia, tensions between the warring countries escalated over claims of attacks on energy infrastructure.
Putin accused Ukraine of breaking a ceasefire agreement ending striking on energy targets.
They claimed Ukraine hit Russian energy targets 14 times in the last 24 hours, allegations the Ukrainians called ‘fake’ and ‘disinformation’.
Earlier this week Zelensky fired accusations at Putin over the ceasefire deal.
He said a Russian drone struck an energy substation in the Sumy region and artillery fire damaged a power line elsewhere in the country.
Putin has often met peace negotiations with attacks on his adversary’s hometown.
In early March, just after the Ukrainian president agreed to a ceasefire deal, another Iskander-M missile struck central Kryvyi Rih.
This bombardment killed a 47-year-old woman and wounding at least five other people.
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