Dnipro death toll rises to 30 following Russia's deadliest strike on Ukraine this year

Dnipro death toll rises to 30 following Russia's deadliest strike on Ukraine this year
Devastated block of flats in Dnipro after Russian missile attack / bne IntelliNews
By Dominic Culverwell in London January 16, 2023

At least 30 people were killed in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro following a Russian missile strike on an apartment block on January 14. The attack is one of the deadliest Ukraine has suffered since the start of the full-scale invasion and once again reminds the world how a protracted war costs the lives of civilians as well as soldiers.


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First responders have been working day and night to rescue the citizens trapped under the rubble of the nine-storey block, with 30 people still missing. So far, 30 people have been confirmed dead and 75 injured, including 13 children, with 40 people being treated in hospital, according to the Kyiv Independent.

“Dozens of people were rescued from the rubble, including six children. We fight for every person! And the rescue operation will last as long as there is even the slightest chance to save a life,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram, addressing the war-weary nation after yet another tragic loss of life.

The strike destroyed 72 apartments and brought back the horrors of the first months of the war, when Moscow indiscriminately shelled civilian areas across the country. Whilst Ukrainian residents away from the front line have become used to Russian missile attacks on energy infrastructure since October 10, few have landed in residential areas and casualties have been relatively low.

"Russia intentionally keeps on committing war crimes against civilians. It’s inhuman. We need to act now and make them stop," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Twitter.

The strike on Dnipro was part of Russia’s tenth and most deadly mass missile attack on Ukraine since October 10 targetting critical infrastructure. Russia fired 38 missiles, exploding in 10 regions and hitting energy infrastructure in six regions. Air defence downed 25 of the 38 missiles.

Mayor of Dnipro Borys Filatov told Radio Svoboda that he believes Russia was aiming for the Prydniprovskaya thermal power station (TPP) but missed due to the inaccuracy of the Soviet-era missile used the Kh-22. Ukraine currently doesn't have air defence capable of shooting down Kh-22 missiles, despite seeing successes in recent months against other missiles. 

“Only anti-aircraft missile systems, which in the future may be provided to Ukraine by Western partners (referring to Patriot PAC-3 or SAMP-T missiles), are capable of intercepting these targets,” said Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of Ukraine’s air force.

Kyiv managed to negotiate further air defence deals with its Western allies earlier this month, including the US-made Patriot systems, but it is expected that equipment training will take months. In that time, Russia is likely to conduct further attacks using missiles and drones, leading Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymytro Kuleba to call for sanctions against Russia’s missile and drone industry to limit their production on January 14.

The mass strike came shortly after Ukraine’s allies announced increased military support, including the UK providing 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Germany is also under pressure to send Leopard 2 tanks or at least give permission to Poland and Finland to distribute their Leopards to Ukraine. However, some have warned that delivering tanks to Kyiv will escalate the war even further.

Nevertheless, Zelenskiy emphasised the urgency of tanks and military vehicles to defeat Russia as Ukraine struggles to liberate territories in the East despite a remarkable autumn period. Berlin will announce this week its decision to provide leopards before the next Ramstein defence meeting on January 20.

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