Early Sunday in Kyiv, a Russian missile strike resulted in injuries to at least three individuals and ignited multiple fires, according to the city’s mayor and military officials. An air alert was issued across Ukraine at 0200 GMT, prompted by the air force’s warning of incoming attacks, including in areas near Poland which necessitated a response from NATO to ensure airspace safety. Fires were reported in three districts of Kyiv, as noted by Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He also mentioned that medics had hospitalized two civilians from the Darnytskyi district located on the eastern side of the Dnipro River, which divides the city. “Stay in shelters!” Klitschko advised.
The extent of the missile attack is yet to be fully assessed. Currently, there are no reports of damage or strikes in the western Ukrainian regions adjacent to Poland. Since a stray Ukrainian missile hit the southern Polish village of Przewodow in 2022, resulting in two fatalities, Poland has maintained a heightened state of alert and launches fighter jets whenever Russia conducts missile strikes targeting Ukrainian territories nearby.
This latest incident follows a previous Russian attack in Kryvyi Rih that left a toll of at least 18 fatalities, including nine children, in the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader has voiced dissatisfaction with the response from the U.S. embassy regarding the missile strike in Kryvyi Rih. Zelenskyy expressed that while several embassies in Kyiv condemned Friday’s attack, the U.S. embassy did not directly hold Russia accountable.
He remarked on the U.S. embassy’s reluctance to mention Russia in their statement condemning the attack. “The U.S. Embassy’s response has been unexpectedly disappointing – for such a powerful nation, the reaction is surprisingly weak,” Zelenskyy noted in a post on X. “They seem hesitant to mention the word ‘Russian’ when discussing the missile that killed children.”
In a statement about the Kryvyi Rih strike, U.S. ambassador Bridget Brink expressed her horror, stating that a ballistic missile hit near a playground and restaurant, resulting in over 50 injuries and 16 deaths, including six children. This incident underscores the urgency of ending the war. During Donald Trump’s presidency, there had been a shift towards improving relations with Russia, contrasting with Joe Biden’s previous firm stance. Since his encounter with Trump, Zelenskyy has made efforts to mend relations while recognizing U.S. mediation toward resolving the war with Russia.
The casualty count from the attack in Kryvyi Rih reached 18, including nine children, as reported by regional governor Serhii Lysak. The Russian defense ministry claimed to have executed a precise missile strike targeting a restaurant where unit commanders and Western instructors were gathered.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy confabulated with the leaders of the UK and French military in Kyiv to explore the deployment of an international peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine, amid U.S. President Trump’s hesitance to provide security guarantees. Zelenskyy deemed the discussions as generating “significant progress,” sharing on social media that initial plans for how to establish a partner security contingent were discussed, though specifics were not disclosed. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are leading European initiatives to send what they term a “reassurance force” to Ukraine post-conflict.
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