Russian Missile Strike Hits Zelensky’s Home Town, Six Killed, Says Ukraine

The death toll in the Russian shelling attack against the city of Kryvyi Rih has risen from three to six, the regional military governor has said.

The overnight cruise missile strike on the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed more lives than initially thought, with Kryvyi Rih military administration governor Oleksandr Vilkul revealing the death toll has increased from three to six.

A five-storey block of flats was hit by a missile strike in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with the explosion causing a large fire. Per Ukraine’s own government news service, Vilkul said: “Unfortunately, six people have already been killed. The rescue operation is ongoing”.

The building struck is in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown and he spoke out Tuesday morning on the attack, saying: “More terrorist missiles, Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people.

“Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. The rescue operation in Kryvyi Rih continues. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones! Terrorists will never be forgiven, and they will be held accountable for every missile they launch.”

This is a developing story. The original wire is retained below:

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – A regional governor says at least three people were killed and 25 wounded after missiles hit civilian buildings in an overnight attack in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine.

Gov. Serhiy Lysak of the Dnipropetrovsk region said the strike involving cruise missiles hit a five-story residential building early Tuesday and the area was engulfed in fire. He said in a Telegram post that people were trapped under the rubble and rescue operations were ongoing.

The devastation in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy´s hometown is the latest bloodshed in Russia´s war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month, as Ukrainian forces are mounting counteroffensive operations using Western-supplied firepower to try to drive out the Russians.

Images from the scene relayed by Zelenskyy on his Telegram channel showed firefighters battling the blaze as pockets of fire poked through multiple broken windows of a building. Charred and damaged vehicles littered the nearby ground.

“More terrorist missiles,” he wrote on the social app. “Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people.”

The aerial assault was the latest barrage of strikes by Russian forces that targeted various parts of Ukraine overnight.

The Kyiv military administration reported that the capital come under fire as well on Tuesday, but the incoming missiles were destroyed by air defenses and there were no immediate reports of any casualties there.