The toll from Russia’s “massive missile” attack overnight on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih rose to six, an official announced on Tuesday. Earlier, three were reported killed, and 25 injured.
“Unfortunately, there are already six dead. The rescue operation is continuing,” Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city’s military administration, said in a statement on social media.
Several civilian buildings were hit by the missile, including a five-storey building, the mayor of Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, said earlier.
“Likely, there are people under the rubble,” Vilkul said on Telegram.
While it was difficult to ascertain whether the attack had taken place since there was no immediate comment from Russia, Lisak shared a picture of a five-storey apartment building with all windows blown out and smoke coming out of some.
The attack comes a day after Ukraine began its much-awaited counter-offensive against the Russian forces and claimed to have achieved success.
Ukraine’s counter-offensive
On Monday, Kyiv claimed that it had taken control of seven villages in eastern and southern Ukraine that were initially occupied by the Russian forces over the last week.
Ukraine further said that it made small gains near the eastern city of Bakhmut after launching a long-awaited counteroffensive with Western weapons to claw back territory.
“Seven settlements were liberated,” Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said on Telegram.
These are: Lobkovo, Levadne and Novodarivka in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, she said.
Ukraine takes 90 sq km of area from Russia, seven settlements taken over in last week
“The battles are tough, but our movement is there, and that is very important,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Monday.”
He added that rainy weather is challenging his troops, and that he’s discussed with his military commanders “which points of the front we need to strengthen and what actions we can take to break more Russian positions.”
Malyar said Ukrainian forces had also regained control of the village of Storozheve in the south of the Donetsk region, near three villages recaptured on Sunday.
“The area of the territory taken under control amounted to 90 square kilometres,” Malyar said.
The Ukrainian defence ministry said its forces had advanced “250 to 700 metres” into the direction of the flashpoint city of Bakhmut.
Earlier, Russia said that it repelled Ukrainian attacks in the same area in the Donetsk region near Velyka Novosilka.
It also said it fought off Ukrainian attacks around the nearby village of Levadne in the neighbouring southern region of Zaporizhzhia.
The claims by Moscow and Kyiv could not be verified independently.
(With inputs from agencies)
