UN rights chief condemns Russian strike on Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih as 'unimaginable horror'

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Sunday condemned the deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, describing the attack as an "unimaginable horror" that killed civilians, including children, in a residential area.

Ukrainian authorities said at least 19 people were killed and 75 others injured when a Russian missile hit a neighborhood in Kryvyi Rih, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, on Friday evening.

"It's an unimaginable horror — nine children killed, most while playing in a park, as a military weapon exploded into shrapnel above them," Turk said in a statement issued by his office. "A single explosion ended 18 lives on a warm Friday evening in Kryvyi Rih, as families gathered near a playground, a restaurant and residential buildings."

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for what it called a "high-precision strike," alleging that the missile targeted a restaurant where a meeting between Ukrainian unit commanders and Western instructors was taking place.

However, Turk rejected Moscow's justification, saying the UN Human Rights Office had verified many of the casualties and was continuing to collect information. According to the statement, witnesses told UN investigators that an industry forum was taking place at the restaurant shortly before the strike and that no military personnel were present in the area.

"All witnesses conveyed that there had been no military presence at the restaurant or in the area at the time of the strike," the statement said, adding that the incident could constitute an indiscriminate attack under international law, even if there was suspicion of a military target.

Turk called for a "prompt, thorough, and independent investigation" into the attack and stressed the urgent need to protect civilians in the ongoing conflict.

The city of Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been frequently targeted during Russia's war on Ukraine, now in its third year.