Ukrainian death toll from Russian strike that hit Dnipro apartment rises to 40
Mike Brest
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A Russian strike on a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed 40 people, according to an updated death toll from the Ukrainian emergency services.
Three children were among those who lost their lives in the Saturday strike that hit a nine-story residential building and has turned out to be one of the largest losses of civilian lives away from the front line since the beginning of the war. Seventy-five people were injured in the strike, including 14 children, and there have been 46 reports of missing persons.
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“Since the attack, Ukraine has heard words of condolences and support from many leaders, public figures, journalists, and ordinary people from around the world. I thank everyone who did not remain indifferent! It is very important that normal people unite in response to terror,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Sunday night address. “But … I want to say to all those in Russia — and from Russia — who even now could not utter even a few words of condemnation of this terror … Even though they see and know everything perfectly well.”
Communal services removed more than 8,000 tons of construction debris and 41 damaged cars that were near the strike.
Zelensky said a day earlier that the second through ninth floors were “smashed in the explosion of a Russian missile,” before reiterating a frequent request for Western military assistance.
Several strikes hit other parts of the country on Saturday as well.
The commander of Ukraine’s Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, said Russia launched five long-range Kh-22 missiles, and that the one that hit the Dnipro building was launched from Russia’s Kursk region.
“Only anti-aircraft missile systems, which in the future may be provided to Ukraine by Western partners … are capable of intercepting these air targets,” he said, referencing the American Patriot system and the French SAMP/T system as examples.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the claim, telling reporters, “The Russian Armed Forces do not strike residential buildings or social infrastructure facilities. Attacks are made on military targets, either obvious or disguised.” He also claimed the strike had been the result of Ukrainian “anti-aircraft counter-missiles” intercepting the Russian missile.
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The U.S. announced last month that it would send the Patriot missile system to Ukraine, a Zelensky request that the U.S. has long denied. The Department of Defense will begin training Ukrainian forces on the system at Fort Sill in Oklahoma as soon as this week.
“I can confirm that training for Ukrainian forces on the Patriot air defense system will begin as soon as next week at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Training will prepare approximately 90 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers to operate, maintain, and sustain the defensive system over a training course expected to last several months,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder announced at Tuesday’s briefing.
The Patriot missile defense system, a Raytheon product, is designed to track and intercept incoming ballistic and cruise missiles, and it would help the Ukrainians defend against aerial strikes Russian forces are launching.