A Russian missile strike early Tuesday inside the hometown of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky killed at least 10 people and injured dozens more as enemy attacks ramped up throughout the country in response to a major counteroffensive.
The missile, which destroyed a five-story apartment building and a food warehouse overnight, was one of six fired by the Russian military in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, however, but was the only one that managed to penetrate the country's air defense systems, officials said.
"More terrorist missiles, Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people," Zelensky wrote on Twitter. "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."
Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul later confirmed the other missiles caused little if any damage.
"The rescue operation continues at two facilities that were destroyed after a Russian missile strike," Vilkul told news outlets. "There is rubble. The places where the missiles hit have nothing to do with military facilities."
More than 20 people were injured in the Kryvyi Rih attack, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, one of Zelensky's top advisers.
"And this kind of thing happens every night," he said. "Because the Russian Federation is blatantly destroying Ukraine."
In a statement posted to Facebook, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said it shot down 10 winged missiles in just the past day, including one that had been fired from the Caspian Sea.
"The probability of missile and aviation strikes across Ukraine continues to remain very high," the agency said while noting that Moscow was seeking to take over Luhansk and Donetsk, where a fierce battle was still playing out.
In recent days, Russia has launched 31 airstrikes and 47 aerial bombing attacks, while targeting only civilian infrastructure, the agency said. Shelling in and around Kharkiv has destroyed numerous private homes and businesses.
A separate Russian airstrike in the southeastern city of Zaporizhia killed one civilian and destroyed several homes. Major cultural centers and high-rise buildings in Avdiivka were also struck, injuring numerous civilians.
Meanwhile, air raid sirens were blaring in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where regional governor Serhiy Lysak said some residents were still trapped in the rubble.
Two neighboring regions — Donetsk and Poltava — were also on high alert.
Elsewhere, Kyiv — the Ukrainian capital — and Kharkiv in the northeast also came under drone and cruise missile fire Tuesday, according to Kyiv's city military administration.
"All enemy targets in the airspace around Kyiv were detected and successfully destroyed," the agency said.
In Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones damaged at least two civilian buildings.
"According to initial reports, a utility company in the Kyivskyi district, as well as a warehouse in Saltivskyi district got damaged. A fire broke out as a result of the explosion on the latter," he said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Denise Brown, who serves as the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, also condemned the strike that left nearby buildings and vehicles charred and damaged.
"Russia's invasion has, once again, claimed lives and brought suffering to the people of Ukraine," she said. "This morning, an attack on Kryvyi Rih has hit a residential building, killing and injuring many civilians. International humanitarian law is clear: civilians and civilian infrastructure are not a target."
The latest Russian assault comes as Ukrainian forces launched a major counteroffensive in recent days that has led to the liberation of at least four seized Ukrainian villages in the eastern city of Donetsk.
"The fighting is tough, but we are moving forward, this is very important," Zelensky said during a Monday night address. "I thank our guys for every Ukrainian flag that is now returning to its rightful place in villages on the newly de-occupied territory."
