Ukraine: At Least 6 Killed in Russian Missile Strike

Facts

• At least six people were killed and dozens more were injured after Russian missiles targeting the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih struck an apartment building in the early hours of Tuesday. A five-story building got destroyed per Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region.¹
• Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 14 cruise missiles and four kamikaze drones in the attack across Ukraine, adding that its air defenses destroyed a total of 11 aerial targets — 10 missiles and one drone.²
• Russian artillery shelling has also returned to the regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, with officials in each region reporting attacks in the past day. Meanwhile, one civilian was killed and five were injured in Russian attacks on Donetsk while two civilians were killed and two more were injured in attacks on Zaporizhzhia; both regions are the focal point of Ukraine's counteroffensive at this stage.³
• Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Rybar, a Russian military blogger, claimed that the west Donetsk village of Makarivka — one of four recaptured by Ukraine a day before — has fallen back into Russian hands. The claim has yet to be independently confirmed.⁴
• In Ukrainian attacks, Russian officials said Ukraine's counteroffensive assaults in the regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia continued. Russia's defense ministry claimed that all attacks had been successfully repelled — including in Luhansk — and that Ukraine suffered heavy casualties; experienced Russian military figure Maj. Gen. Sergei Goryachev was also reportedly killed.⁵
• Speaking of the counteroffensive in his nightly address, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "The battles are fierce, but we are moving forward, and this is very important. The enemy's losses are exactly what we need. Although the weather is unfavorable these days — the rains make our task more difficult — the strength of our warriors still yields results."⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian (a), ²UKRINFORM (a), ³UKRINFORM (b), ⁴Guardian (b), ⁵TASS, and ⁶President.

Narratives

• Pro-Ukraine narrative, as provided by Guardian. In Russia's latest deadly missile attack, the country has continued to wage war against residential buildings, ordinary cities, and people. This is its latest terror attack in a 15-month unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. When all is said and done, it will be clear that Russia was on the right side of history in Ukraine. Its partners know it to be reliable and that it cooperates based on mutual respect and a balance of interests. If Ukraine and its Western partners return to the principle of indivisibility of security, future conflicts will cease.

Predictions