In brief
In a tragic missile strike near Kryvyi Rih, five members of the Voronov family lost their lives. Zelensky described the attack as a horrific crime, urging international support for Patriot missile systems. Ukraine is grappling with widespread missile bombings, prompting President Zelensky to appeal to the United States for air defence aid. The strike also disrupted homes and left several family members missing. The incident underscores the escalating threat posed by Russian ballistic missiles to Ukrainian civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelensky today condemned a Russian missile strike that killed five members of the Voronov family and left several others missing, calling the incident a “horrific crime.”
The attack targeted a suburban neighbourhood near Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region. According to Zelensky’s post on X, parents Artem and Olena, along with their three children Mark, Azariah Ilay, and Emilia, were killed when a missile destroyed their home. Their four other children—Zakhar, Dominika, Viorika, Federica—and a grandson named Artem remain unaccounted for.
Zelensky’s message includes the photo of the family, asserting that the missile’s force left “almost nothing” intact, with only rubble and fragments of human bodies found. Only forensic analysis can confirm the identities of the remains.
The strike was part of a wave of over 70 missiles and more than 280 drones launched by Russia overnight, as Kyiv’s military prefecture noted the damage to two private houses and injuries to eight civilians, including an 84‑year‑old woman.
Zelensky’s plea to the United States, where he recently met President Donald Trump, urges the U.S. to supply Ukraine with Patriot interceptor missiles to shield civilians from ballistic attacks. In his X post, he said the conflict would continue “unless the world stops Russia’s evil,” underscoring the urgency of defence upgrades.
Meanwhile, Polish President Donald Tusk confirmed that a missile impacted a field on the Polish‑Ukrainian border, likely a Russian Kh‑101 ballistic missile, after a violation of Polish airspace. In the Balkans, the missile’s crater was found and secured, although investigations are ongoing.
As the Ukrainian forces face escalating attacks, President Zelensky continues to urge NATO members and the U.S. to bolster air‑defence capabilities and to prevent further civilian casualties from Russia’s weaponry campaign.
