Missile attack Zelensky’s hometown

Shafaq News / A Russian missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown in Central Ukraine Thursday night killed one person and injured at least 54, Ukrainian officials said.

Missile strikes damaged ten buildings in Kryvyi Rih, and many of the injured are in serious condition, Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Video he shared on Telegram of the aftermath showed what appeared to be an apartment building on fire.

The fatality was a police officer, as were nine of the injured, Klymenko said.

Three people were also killed in a missile strike in the Kherson region, in southern Ukraine, overnight.

Russia’s strike on Kryvyi Rih comes as the country organizes elections in occupied Ukrainian territories. The U.S. has denounced the elections as a “sham,” and others have called out Russia for pushing forth pro-Kremlin candidates in races where they are often unopposed.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Ukraine this week, leaving Thursday after meeting with Zelensky and other Ukrainian leaders. He announced an additional $1 billion in U.S. aid for the country.

During his visit, Russian strike on a market in eastern Ukraine killed 16 people and injured 33 others.

The strikes follow reported advancement by the Ukrainian military in the country’s southeast, potentially signaling a breakthrough in the country’s long-awaited and slow-advancing counteroffensive.

(The Hill)