At least 18 people, including nine children, were killed and dozens injured in a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on April 4, 2025. The attack targeted a residential neighborhood, causing extensive damage to apartment buildings, schools, vehicles, and a playground.
Ukrainian authorities condemned the missile strike as a deliberate assault on civilians and a violation of international human rights norms. President Zelensky criticized Russia for not seeking peace and emphasized the need for global pressure against Russian aggression.
In response to the ongoing Russian aggression, President Zelensky met with British and French military leaders in Kyiv to discuss the potential deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
The talks focused on the structure and size of the proposed European-led force, possibly comprising 10,000 to 30,000 troops, with the aim of enhancing Ukraine’s military deterrence. However, U.S. President Donald Trump remains reluctant to support or offer security guarantees, having paused military aid to Ukraine and opposing its NATO membership.
The international community has expressed concern over the escalating violence, with calls for intensified pressure on Moscow to halt its aggression. The recent attacks underscore the urgent need for a concerted global response to address the ongoing conflict and support Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Last month, Russia stipulated that any prospective peace agreement with Ukraine must include “ironclad” guarantees ensuring Ukraine’s neutrality and permanent exclusion from NATO membership. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko emphasized that such guarantees are essential components of a lasting peace treaty.
“We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement…Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of NATO countries to accept it into the alliance,” Grushko asserted.
This development coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a 30-day ceasefire, a proposal Ukraine has accepted. Recent discussions between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow were described as “positive,” though specific outcomes remain undisclosed.
