Russian Missile Strike Claims at Least 40 Lives

(NewsReady.com) – The Russian war in Ukraine is approaching its one-year anniversary. The last few months have proven to be incredibly deadly for Russia. Recently, the Russian military launched the deadliest attack on a building housing civilians in months.

On Saturday, January 14, Russia launched a missile attack that slammed into an apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine, the most devastating such attack on a single location since last September. The New York Times reported the death toll had risen to at least 40 by Monday morning. More than 75 people suffered injuries, and dozens are still missing.

Information about those killed began emerging in the days after the attack. First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzheppar revealed on Twitter that one of the victims was 15-year-old Maria Lebid.

R.I.P. Maria Lebid was only 15 years old. She was school president and ballroom dancer. When #russian missile hit the residential building in #Dnipro, Maria was at home. Her beautiful life dance was cut short by 🇷🇺 terrorists.#RussiaIsATerroristState pic.twitter.com/LFsZNPVoHU

— Emine Dzheppar (@EmineDzheppar) January 16, 2023

Mothers and friends Irina Salamatenko and Olha Usova were also killed in the strike; the two women had three children between them.

Two friends Olha Usova and Irina Salamatenko killed in Dnipro by Russian X22 missile. Excellent doctors, volunteers, Irina has two children, Olya has a little son. There’s only one way to fight terrorists. And we all know what it is. pic.twitter.com/uKttfgk56g

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) January 15, 2023

Boxing coach Mykhailo Korenovsky also lost his life in the attack. Fortunately, his wife and two children were out for a walk when the missile struck their home.

At least 6,952 Ukrainian civilians lost their lives in the war, the United Nations Human Rights Office has reported. That number includes 431 children. Additionally, 11,144 people have also suffered injuries, more than 800 of which were kids.

The Associated Press spoke to Ukrainian Gen. Valerii Zaluzhny, who said Russia fired 33 missiles on Saturday. Of those, 21 were stopped by Ukrainian air defense. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said officials were fighting “[a]round the clock.” He said Ukraine would “continue to fight for every life.”

In the wake of the deadly strike, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to continue to support the country. Though Russia has said it would like to negotiate a peace agreement to end the war, those talks have not taken place.