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Matthias Schmale, a senior representative of the United Nations, expressed his outrage regarding the recent Russian military strike on Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipro region of Ukraine. He emphasized the tragedy of the ongoing assaults on populated areas, highlighting the persistent suffering inflicted on innocent civilians.
“Such attacks reflect a troubling trend of violence targeting urban centers across Ukraine, leading to the loss and suffering of many civilians,” he noted, referencing the emotional turmoil experienced by residents of Kharkiv, which had endured a significant attack just hours before.
Schmale underscored that the civilian population is shielded by international humanitarian law, asserting, “They should never be the focus of military operations.” He described the impact of these attacks on families as unbearable.
Young lives lost
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) responded to the attack by demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities that target civilian populations. Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, expressed deep sorrow over the incident in Kryvyi Rih, which claimed the lives of at least nine children and left many others injured, including an infant just three months old.
The missile struck a residential area in the Saksahanskyi district during the early evening hours, a time when families were coming together as the weekend approached. It impacted a playground and caused extensive damage to homes, schools, and local businesses, leading to heart-wrenching scenes of grief as parents mourned their lost children.
“No child should have to experience such fear, and no parent should have to endure such heartache,” De Dominicis stated, painting a poignant picture of the human cost of the violence.
Stolen futures
In the aftermath of this tragic event, UNICEF and its partners are actively providing support to affected families and coordinating emergency response measures with local authorities. De Dominicis reported that over 2,500 children have been killed or injured since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, with millions of children’s lives drastically altered.
“Each child lost represents a future forfeited,” she remarked. “The relentless use of heavy weaponry in residential areas and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, which disproportionately affects children, must come to an end.”
Source
news.un.org