Nine individuals lost their lives and 29 were injured, including five children, when a Russian ballistic missile hit an apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, as reported by Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Klymenko confirmed the casualties on Wednesday evening following the conclusion of rescue operations at the site.

Images published by emergency services depicted rescue teams sifting through piles of debris and wood to assist the injured and retrieve the deceased.

“The ongoing Russian terror highlights the necessity for Ukraine and its allies to bolster air defences,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the incident.

Kryvyi Rih, located in southern Ukraine, is the hometown of Zelenskyy.

He shared video clips from the attack’s aftermath, showing rescue workers searching for survivors in the wreckage and renewed his call for Ukraine’s allies to enhance the provision of advanced air defence systems to counteract Russian air strikes.

According to two US officials on Tuesday, the United States will send an additional Patriot missile system. Aid to Ukraine remains a significant topic at the upcoming annual Group of Seven (G7) summit starting Thursday in Italy.

“State-of-the-art air defence systems can offer optimal protection for civilians, our urban areas, and military positions. Their supply is crucial,” stated Zelenskyy.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kryvyi Rih was home to around 635,000 residents.

Throughout the conflict, the city has been subjected to frequent attacks.

Situated in the southern industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk, local authorities reported that three individuals, including a 13-year-old boy, were injured in a Russian drone attack on Wednesday.