Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine (Reuters) – At least six people have been killed in a Russian missile attack on an apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, officials said.
Residents wailed outside the burning apartment building, which billowed in smoke after the early morning attack on the city in central Ukraine. Officials said at least 25 people were wounded and that others were still trapped under the rubble.
Olha Chernusova, who lives in a five-story apartment building, said the explosion woke her up with the sound of thunder and threw her out of bed with a violent wave.
She said, “I ran to my door, but it was so hot… there was so much smoke.”
“What can I do? I was sitting on the porch, afraid I might pass out. No one came for a long time… I thought I’d have to jump into a tree.”
Around her, the street and courtyard were filled with glass and bricks. At least five cars were destroyed as husks.
Ihor Lavrinenko, who lives in a different part of the building, said he heard two explosions.
He said, “I woke up from the first blast, a weak bang, and went straight to the balcony. Then the second blast went over my head, and from my balcony I watched hot debris fall.”
[1/6] Police officers stand next to the bodies of those killed in a Russian missile strike, amid a Russian attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Andrey Dubchak
Rescue operations are underway at the apartment building and at a destroyed warehouse, said district governor Serhiy Lysak via messaging app Telegram.
The city’s mayor, Oleksandr Vilkol, confirmed that at least six people had been killed. He had said in an earlier post that three people were killed, at least seven were believed to be trapped under the rubble and another 25 were injured.
Zelensky condemns the attack
“Russian murderers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people,” Zelensky, who was born in Kryvyi Rih, said on Telegram.
Russia did not immediately comment on the attack. It has repeatedly struck cities across Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, though it denies targeting civilians.
Moscow has also accused Ukraine of shelling across the border, where Kiev is carrying out counter-attack operations. Russia’s Kursk governor said on Tuesday that several houses were damaged and electricity supplies were disrupted in two villages in the region near the border.
During the early hours of Tuesday, air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine, with military officials in Kiev saying air defense forces had destroyed all Russian missiles targeting the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine’s top military command said the air force had destroyed 10 out of 14 cruise missiles launched by Russia at Ukraine and one of four Iranian-made drones.
Additional reporting by Lydia Kelly in Melbourne and Aleksandar Vasović in Belgrade. Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Timothy Heritage
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