Canada condemns deadly Russian missile strike on Ukrainian city

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Canada on Saturday strongly condemned a Russian missile strike that killed 19 civilians and injured 74 others in a residential area of Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, calling the attack "horrific" and offering condolences to the victims' families.

“Canada condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine yesterday that killed so many innocent people,” the Canadian Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. “Canada offers its sincere condolences to the families of the victims killed in this horrific attack.”

The missile strike, which occurred late Friday, hit a civilian area in Kryvyi Rih, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the local defense council. He shared the updated casualty figures in a Telegram post.

Regional authorities said the strike involved a Russian ballistic missile that caused widespread destruction in the city, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kryvyi Rih has been targeted multiple times since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The deadly attack took place amid ongoing US-mediated ceasefire and peace negotiations, making it one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in recent weeks.

As of Saturday, Russian officials had not issued a statement in response to the claims.