The strike came as Ukraine prepared to officially celebrate Christmas for the second time on Dec. 25. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed legislation in July 2023 to bring Ukraine’s public Christmas holiday in line with the majority of other European countries, rather than the later date followed in Russia.
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Ukrainian servicemen of 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade sit in the dugout after firing from their AS-90 self-propelled artillery vehicle towards Russian positions at the front line on Pokrovsk direction, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2024. Image- AP
At least one person was killed and 11 injured by a ballistic missile strike on an apartment block in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
“Unfortunately, we are preparing for difficult news,” Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul wrote on his Telegram channel.
Minutes before his post, Ukraine’s air force alerted a “ballistic missile strike threat” for southern and central regions of Ukraine, later signaling a “high-speed” target flying in the direction of Kryvyi Rih.
”The monsters landed a direct hit on a four-storey residential block with 32 apartments,” the head of the city’s military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, wrote on Telegram.
One man whose body had been pulled from under the rubble could not be revived by medics, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said.
”While other countries of the world are celebrating Christmas, Ukrainians are continuing to suffer from endless Russian attacks,”