On Wednesday, a Russian ballistic missile struck an apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, resulting in the loss of nine lives and injuries to 29 people, including five children. The city’s Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, confirmed the grim toll after recovery efforts concluded at the site.

Emergency services shared harrowing photos of rescue teams navigating piles of rubble and timber to assist both the injured and the deceased. The devastation underscores the urgent need for enhanced air defences in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the tragedy, emphasising the necessity of bolstering air defence capabilities. “Every day and every hour, Russian terror proves that Ukraine, together with its partners, should strengthen air defences,” Zelenskyy stated. Kryvyi Rih, located in southern Ukraine, holds personal significance for Zelenskyy as his hometown.

Zelenskyy further appealed to Ukraine’s allies to expedite the delivery of sophisticated air defence systems to counter Russian air attacks. The United States has agreed to send an additional Patriot missile system, according to two US officials in Washington. This assistance will be a crucial topic at the upcoming annual Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy, set to begin on Thursday.

“Modern air defence systems can provide maximum protection for people, our cities, and our positions,” Zelenskyy asserted. The city of Kryvyi Rih, which housed approximately 635,000 residents before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has faced regular attacks during the ongoing conflict. Recently, three people, including a 13-year-old boy, were injured in a Russian drone strike in the southern industrial Dnipropetrovsk region.