Ukraine's military responded by saying that Russia was spreading false information to try to "cover up its cynical crime". It said Moscow had fired an Iskander-M ballistic missile with a cluster warhead to maximise casualties. The attack, early on Friday evening, was among the deadliest on Kryvyi Rih since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, and comes as US President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire. Zelensky wrote on social media that at least five buildings had been damaged in Friday's strike: "There is only one reason why this continues: Russia doesn't want a ceasefire, and we see it." The head of Kryvyi Rih's defence, Oleksandr Vilkul, said a residential area was hit. "The missile exploded in the air... to injure more people," he said. "Children were killed on or near a playground." Serhii Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, said more than 40 people were treated for wounds, and the youngest was only three months old.

Russia has launched an attack on the home city of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, killing at least 19 people, including nine children, local officials said. But Russia’s Defence Ministry disputed the reports, saying it had targeted a military gathering in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. The Ukrainian military denounced the Russian statement as misinformation.

Russia launched a drone barrage on Ukraine Friday, killing at least four people and injuring 35 in Kharkiv, according to regional officials. The attack, the fourth on the city this week, targeted residential areas, damaging multi-story apartment buildings and sparking fires. Rescue teams worked overnight, with Mayor Ihor Terekhov reporting, "As of this morning, unfortunately, there are already four dead. The body of one more person killed by the Russian aggressor has been (removed) from the rubble." He added, "We also have 35 wounded." The Prosecutor General’s office confirmed that three children were among the injured. Ukrainian air defense units shot down 42 of 78 Russian drones, while electronic warfare helped divert another 22. In addition to Kharkiv, the central Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions were also hit by drone attacks. Kharkiv, which endured early Russian advances in 2022, has since been a frequent target of air strikes.