KYIV: A Russian missile attack killed at least 16 people, including six children, in a residential area of the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday, local officials said, but Russia's Defence Ministry said it had targeted a military gathering in the city.
The strike in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown was one of Moscow's deadliest this year in the conflict, launched with the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
It occurred as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to end the war, damaged residential blocks and sparked fires, Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The bodies of the dead and wounded could be seen lying on the pavement, one of them by a playground, in unverified videos circulating on Telegram, as grey smoke rose into the sky.
At least 50 people were wounded, the emergency services said, adding that the figure was growing. More than 30 people, including a three-month-old baby, were in hospital, Lysak said.
Russia's Defence Ministry, in a post on Telegram, said a "high-precision strike" had targeted "a meeting of unit commanders and Western instructors" in a city restaurant.
"As a result of the strike, enemy losses total up to 85 servicemen and officers of foreign countries, as well as up to 20 vehicles," the ministry said on Telegram.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said rescue efforts were still under way in the city. He called on the West to exert greater pressure on Moscow.
"All Russian promises end with missiles, drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them," he said in his nightly video address.
"That is why Russia must be put under sufficient pressure so they feel the consequences of every lie, every strike, every day they take lives and prolong the war."
The U.S. said last week it had agreed with Russia and Ukraine two ceasefire accords, including one that would cease strikes on each other's energy infrastructure. The deals were a first such step since Trump took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours.
MUTUAL ACCUSATIONS ON ENERGY TARGETS
On Friday, each side accused each other again of flouting the agreement.
Russia's Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of attacking Russian energy facilities six times in the past 24 hours.
Zelenskiy said Russia had launched a drone attack at a thermal power plant in Ukraine's city of Kherson on Friday.
Kyiv says it had earlier agreed to a U.S. proposal for a full unconditional 30-day ceasefire, but Russia rejected such a step in separate talks with U.S. officials.
"We need to put an end to this terror, protect people, and force Russia into peace," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said Russian forces had used a ballistic missile for the Kryvyi Rih strike.
Such weapons take just minutes to reach their targets and are difficult to shoot down for all but high-end air defences.
"Not a single military facility - just civilian infrastructure," he added on Telegram.
Russia denies targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured in its invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
On Wednesday, a Russian missile struck an enterprise in Kryvyi Rih, killing at least four civilians. Zelenskiy said Russian drones hit residences on Thursday in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, killing five people and injuring 34.
