KYIV (Ukraine): A Russian missile strike destroyed a family home in eastern Ukraine early Thursday, leaving 10 members of the same family feared dead in one of the deadliest single-family tragedies of the war, Ukrainian authorities said.
Emergency officials confirmed six deaths, with four more victims presumed dead pending formal identification. The victims included parents, seven children and a grandchild, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who identified the family as the Voronovs. The youngest child was just 18 months old.
The attack, near Kryvyi Rig, Zelensky’s hometown, came during a massive overnight Russian assault involving 74 missiles and 284 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Ukraine intercepted 55 missiles and 265 drones but struggled to stop advanced ballistic missiles, which have become a growing threat.
Zelensky said preliminary assessments indicated the missile that destroyed the family home was of North Korean origin, though investigations are continuing.
The overnight barrage also killed three other people in Kyiv, Poltava and Lviv. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities, communications and logistics infrastructure.
In Kyiv, tens of thousands of residents spent the night sheltering in metro stations after Zelensky warned of a possible large-scale missile attack. More than 56,000 people sought refuge underground as explosions echoed across the capital. The strikes also destroyed a popular flea market.
In Lviv, rescuers pulled a 93-year-old woman alive from the rubble of a five-storey apartment building after she survived the strike alone on the top floor.
The attacks also had repercussions beyond Ukraine’s borders. In neighbouring Poland, authorities discovered a 10-metre-wide crater believed to have been caused by a Russian Kh-101 missile, prompting renewed concern over the conflict’s regional impact.
Zelensky again appealed to allies for additional air-defence systems and interceptor missiles, saying Ukrainian forces were performing “truly incredible things” despite dwindling supplies. He recently discussed expanding Ukraine’s anti-ballistic capabilities with US President Donald Trump, including plans for licensed domestic production of Patriot interceptor missiles. – AFP
