Moscow, April 5, 2025 – The Europe Today: Russia has claimed responsibility for a missile strike on military personnel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Krivoy Rog on Friday evening. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the target was a gathering of military commanders and Western instructors at a restaurant. The Ministry reported that up to 85 Ukrainian and foreign soldiers and officers were killed, and 20 vehicles were damaged in the strike.
However, Ukrainian officials reported that the missile actually struck a residential area, leading to significant civilian casualties. Aleksandr Vilkul, the head of the Krivoy Rog defense council, confirmed that 18 civilians were killed in the attack, including nine children. A further 56 individuals were injured in the blast. Dmitry Lubinets, Ukraine’s top human rights official, denied the Russian claim that the strike targeted a military site.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) has consistently maintained that it only targets military installations. Between March 29 and April 4, Moscow claimed to have carried out seven “group strikes” on Ukrainian command centers, military airfields, weapons factories, and ammunition depots.
Additionally, Russia accused Ukraine of violating a moratorium brokered by the US last month, with Ukraine reportedly conducting six attacks on Russian energy infrastructure over the past 24 hours.
On the same day, Russian officials reported continued shelling by Ukrainian troops on civilian targets, resulting in at least two deaths and 14 injuries. The ongoing violence highlights the continued escalation of the conflict, with both sides accusing each other of targeting civilian infrastructure.
