Russian attack on Zelensky’s home city kills 19 people, including 9 children, one of the deadliest strikes this year

By Mariya Knight, Max Saltman, Sophie Tanno and Kosta Gak, CNN

(CNN) — A Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian president’s home city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday killed at least 19 people, including nine children, one of the deadliest strikes this year in a conflict that shows no sign of a swift end despite a push for peace by the Trump administration.

Among the 72 injured was a baby as young as three months old, with the attack also damaging dozens of apartment buildings and six education institutes along with shops and businesses, said Oleksandr Vilkul, Kryvyi Rih mayor, on Telegram on Saturday, calling it a “tragic evening and night.”

“Another bloody crime was committed by the terrorist country. Rocket and massive Shahed attacks on residential areas and playgrounds,” the mayor said.

Russian troops struck Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile with a cluster warhead, which is “designed to hit a larger area and a larger number of people,” the Ukrainian General Staff said.

Zelensky’s home town has come under repeated Russian attack in recent months. A deadly strike earlier this month, killed four civilians in a taxi parking lot.

US President Donald Trump pledged to bring a quick end to the conflict but has been unable to broker a deal. Ukraine’s allies believe Russia is dragging its feet on negotiations while it tries to secure an advantage on the battlefield.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in his nightly address soon afterward.

“Many injured, houses damaged. The missile actually hit the area next to residential buildings – a children’s playground, ordinary streets,” Zelensky said.

Russia also targeted a power plant in Kherson with a drone on Friday, Zelensky said.

“Such strikes cannot be a coincidence – Russians know that this is an energy facility,” Zelensky said. “These types of facilities must be protected from any attacks, as per the promises Russia made to the American side.”

Zelensky criticized the US after the country’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, wrote on X, “Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end.”

The Ukrainian leader condemned her response, saying that the “reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people, and such a weak reaction.”

He continued, “They are even afraid to say the word ‘Russian’ when talking about the missile that killed the children.”

Addressing the nation later on Saturday, Zelensky said that it was “wrong and dangerous to keep silent about the fact that it is Russia that is killing children with ballistic (missiles).”

“It only incites the scumbags in Moscow to continue the war and further ignore diplomacy. Weakness has never ended a war. That is why I am grateful to every country whose representatives have spoken out: leaders, foreign ministers, embassies,” he said.

Several European officials condemned Russia for the strike.

British Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris wrote on X: “While Ukraine pursues peace, Russia is striking civilians far from the frontline. Today’s ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih shows it has no intention to stop the war.”

The German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jaeger wrote “Russia is the aggressor” while reposting information about the strike on X.

In a statement on Telegram, the Russian ministry of defense claimed the strike had targeted a meeting between Ukrainian and Western officers, describing it as “a high-precision strike… with a high-explosive missile on the site of a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors in one of the restaurants in the city of Kryvyi Rih.”

“As a result of the strike, the enemy lost up to 85 servicemen and officers of foreign countries, as well as up to 20 vehicles,” the post claimed.

CNN has reached out to Ukrainian authorities for further information.

Stalled peace talks

It comes as little progress has been made on peace talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. In the past week, President Donald Trump’s frustration with his Russian counterpart has become clear. Trump said he was recently “pissed off” on a recent call with the Russian leader, who rejected Trump’s proposal for a full and immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

Ukrainian and European leaders have made clear they believe Putin is stalling, believing time is on his side, while Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff – who has met Putin twice this year – have insisted Putin does want a peace deal.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Friday that he had met with an envoy for Putin this week and sent him back to Moscow with a message: the clock is ticking on when there needs to be a breakthrough in the peace talks to end the Ukraine war.

Rubio has traveled to Saudi Arabia twice in the past two months for discussions with top Russian and Ukrainian officials to try to launch negotiations over a ceasefire and eventual agreement to end the three-year war.

Now though, progress needs to be made, Rubio said. “There can’t be talks about talks.”

Last week, following days of separate negotiations with Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, the White House said that the two sides had agreed to a US-brokered agreement to stop using force in the Black Sea while also agreeing to implement a previously announced pause on attacks against energy infrastructure.

However, Russia responded by setting additional conditions on the Black Sea ceasefire, including the lifting of sanctions imposed on its banks and exports.

This story has been updated.

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CNN’s Alex Marquardt contributed reporting.