Putin's message to Zelensky: Missile and drone attack slaughters 19 civilians including nine children in strike on Ukrainian leader's home city

The decease toll from a deadly Russian ballistic rocket onslaught connected Volodymyr Zelensky 's location metropolis of Kryvyi Rig connected Friday has risen to 19, including 9 children. 

Among the dormant was tragic boy, 'Timofiyko', aged three.

Footage showed him being carried retired from an country adjacent to a playground that was deed by the Russian rocket arsenic rescuers sought to resuscitate him during the night.

At the clip of the explosion, helium and his grandma were returning location from the playground.

His parent Valeria ran extracurricular to her household to witnesser the hellhole from Putin's attack.

There was anticipation helium could beryllium saved - but helium died from wounds sustained successful the brutal strike.

'Timofiyko was a precise energetic child, helium was passionate astir abstraction and abstraction rockets,' said his distraught parent arsenic she shared pictures of her beloved child.

'He truly loved collecting ladybugs and assorted beetles.'

Also among the dormant successful Putin's panic onslaught was parent Vita Holovko, 50, was among the 19 killed, portion her lad Matviy, eight, is successful intensive care.

Ukrainian sources accidental the Iskander-M rocket had a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.

A further 61 radical were injured successful Friday's attack, ranging from a three-month-old babe to aged residents.

The bodies of the dormant and wounded could beryllium seen lying connected the pavement successful unverified videos circulating connected Telegram, arsenic grey fume roseate into the sky. 

Forty stay hospitalized, including 2 children successful captious information and 17 successful superior condition.

Other videos amusement rescuers recovering the bodies of those killed successful the attack, portion firefighters unreserved to enactment retired the flames.

'There tin ne'er beryllium forgiveness for this,' said Oleksandr Vilkul, caput of the city's defence council. 'Eternal representation to the victims.'

Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

'The rocket struck an country close adjacent to residential buildings — hitting a playground and mean streets,' Zelenskyy wrote connected Telegram.

Local authorities said the onslaught damaged astir 20 flat buildings, much than 30 vehicles, an acquisition gathering and a restaurant.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that it had carried retired a high-precision rocket onslaught with a precocious explosive warhead connected a edifice wherever a gathering with portion commanders and Western instructors was taking place.

Russian subject claimed that the onslaught killed 85 subject unit and overseas officers and destroyed 20 vehicles. The military's claims could not beryllium independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff rejected the claims.

A aboriginal drone onslaught connected Kryvyi Rih killed 1 pistillate and wounded 7 different people.

Zelensky blamed the regular strikes connected Russia's unwillingness to extremity the war: 'Every missile, each drone onslaught proves Russia wants lone war,' helium said, urging Ukraine's allies to summation unit connected Moscow and bolster Ukraine's aerial defenses.

'The United States, Europe, and the remainder of the satellite person capable powerfulness to marque Russia wantonness panic and war,' helium said.