KRIVY RIH, Ukraine, June 13 (Reuters) – A Russian missile attack on an apartment building and warehouses in Krivy Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, killed 11 civilians on Tuesday, local officials said.
Emergency services said four people were killed in apartments and seven in warehouses, where officials said a private company stored goods such as fizzy drinks. Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said none of the targets had military ties.
Another 25 people were injured, two of whom suffered severe burns and are in a critical condition, the head doctor of a Krivi Rih hospital told reporters.
Residents sob outside a burnt-out apartment block after an early morning attack on a central Ukrainian city.
Olha Chernozova, who lives in a five-story apartment building, said she woke up to an explosion that sounded like thunder and was thrown from her bed by a violent blast wave.
“I ran to my door, but it was too hot. There was a lot of smoke,” she said.
“What could I do? I was sitting on the balcony and I would pass out. No one had come for a long time. I thought I would jump into a tree.”
[1/6] Police officers stand near the bodies of those killed by a Russian missile strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Andrii Dubchak
Around her, the street and courtyard were filled with glass and brick. At least five cars were wrecked husks.
Ihor Lavrenenko, who lives in another part of the building, said he heard two explosions.
“I woke up from the first bang, a weak one, and immediately went to the balcony. Then the second one exploded above, and I saw from my balcony that hot debris fell,” he said.
Zelenskiy, who was born in Kryvyi Rih, condemned the attack.
“Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Terrorists will never be forgiven and will be held accountable for every missile they launch.”
Russia has repeatedly attacked cities across Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, but denies targeting civilians. Moscow has also accused Ukraine of conducting cross-border shelling as Kyiv counterattacks.
Ukraine’s military command said air defenses destroyed 10 of 14 cruise missiles and one of four Iranian-made drones fired at Ukraine overnight.
Additional reporting by Lydia Kelly, Anna Bruchnicka and Alexander Vasovic; Editing by Timothy Heritage
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