Russia has confirmed it carried out a missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Krivoy Rog on Friday evening, claiming the target was a gathering of military commanders and Western military instructors.
The attack, which was reported to have killed at least 85 Ukrainian and foreign military personnel, also led to civilian casualties, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its strike targeted a “meeting place of commanders of military units and Western instructors in one of the restaurants” in Krivoy Rog, a city of strategic importance in central Ukraine. Moscow claimed that up to 85 soldiers and officers were killed, alongside significant damage to 20 vehicles.
However, Ukrainian authorities have disputed the Russian narrative. According to officials in Krivoy Rog, the missile strike instead hit a residential area, causing widespread devastation and loss of life. Aleksandr Vilkul, the head of the Krivoy Rog defense council, confirmed that the attack killed 18 civilians, including nine children, and injured at least 56 others. Several apartment blocks were also damaged in the explosion.
The West has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure, a claim that Moscow has consistently denied. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, addressing the civilian deaths in Krivoy Rog, reiterated Moscow’s stance, saying that Russian forces “only strike military and military-related targets.” Peskov dismissed the possibility of an error or miscalculation, referring to statements made by the Russian Defense Ministry.
The incident follows a series of intense Russian missile strikes in late March and early April, which targeted Ukrainian command centers, airfields, weapons factories, and ammunition depots.
Relaterat
- TASS (2023): Russian strike on airfield near Krivoi Rog wipes out five Ukrainian aircraft
- Defence Mirror: Russian Missiles Kill 85 Commanders, Foreign Instructors in Zelensky’s Hometown