Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for “no pause” in the pressure on Russia to end its “terror” following a Russian missile strike on a hotel in his hometown of Kryvyi Rig, which killed four civilians.
Rescue workers, using cranes and floodlights, searched through the rubble for survivors after the strike in southern Ukraine, with images from emergency services showing the aftermath. Zelensky shared on social media that before the attack, volunteers from a humanitarian organization—comprising citizens from Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom—had checked into the hotel, and they survived the strike.
“There must be no pause in the pressure on Russia to stop this war and terror against life,” Zelensky said.
The missile strike comes as Moscow intensifies its bombardments, amid growing divisive rhetoric in Washington surrounding potential peace talks to end the ongoing war, which has now lasted more than three years. The governor of Dnipropetrovsk, Sergiy Lysak, later confirmed that the death toll from the hotel attack had risen to four, as a 43-year-old man died in hospital from his injuries. Lysak had earlier reported over 30 people injured.
In addition to the hotel, the attack caused significant damage to 14 apartment buildings, a post office, nearly two dozen cars, a cultural institution, and 12 shops, according to authorities. The strike is part of a broader overnight assault on the Dnipropetrovsk region, with Russian forces inching closer to it.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched two missiles and more than 100 drones, including both attack drones and decoys. Air defense units successfully downed 68 of these drones.
The strike comes shortly after Washington suspended its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, further complicating Kyiv’s situation. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal emphasized the ongoing threat from Russia, stating, “Every day Russia demonstrates that it is ready to continue the war and terrorize civilians. That is why Ukraine needs strong security guarantees to ensure a lasting and just peace.”
Kryvyi Rig, located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) northwest of the southern front line, was home to over 600,000 people before the war. Additionally, officials reported that a security guard was killed in Sumy in the north when a warehouse was hit.
