Russian ballistic missiles kill four, injure five in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
Russians killed four people and 14 injured in their attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the afternoon of January 17, 2025, according to Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also damaged the premises of an educational institution and residential buildings.

The attack claimed the lives of three women and one man. Three people have been injured: a woman, 22, and two men aged 34 and 56.
“The updated information indicates that five people were injured. Three are hospitalised in serious condition. Two more were treated on the spot,” Lysak added.

The Russian missiles damaged two five-storey buildings, with fire breaking out in one of them. The attack also struck an uninhabited building and an educational institution.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians had attacked the city with ballistic missiles.
“Each such terrorist attack is another reminder of who we are dealing with. Russia will not stop on its own. It can only be stopped by joint pressure. The pressure of everyone in the world who values life,” Zelenskyy wrote.

ZMINA consistently reports on the ongoing international crimes in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Previously, ZMINA reported that Russinas killed ten civilians on the evening of St. Nicholas Day in Zapoizhzhia Oblast and Kryvyi Rih.
By way of background, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported 574 civilian deaths and 3,082 casualties from Russian attacks between September and November 2024. September saw the highest civilian casualty rate since July 2022, driven by intensified Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast and increased use of guided aerial bombs and drones.

Previously, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine outlined a timeline for the second Peace Summit.
During a January 17, 2025 press conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the new White House administration, headed by Donald Trump, has the necessary prerequisites to help Ukraine conclude a good deal to end Russia’s war against Ukrainian People and establish a lasting peace.
Blinken emphasised that any good deal must include a sustainable ceasefire that prevents Putin from resting, rearming, and resuming aggression. The current administration has discussed various approaches with European partners and shared them with Trump’s team.
President Zelenskyy linked potential peace negotiations with security guarantees in his interview with Polish media, warning that Russia could rebuild its strength and attack again without reliable guarantees to Kyiv.
He emphasised that Trump must offer Ukraine specific security guarantees that would not only benefit Europe but also send a signal to Russia that Ukrainians, alongside other nations, will be able to defend themselves if Putin attempts to incite war again.
The Ukrainian president called for increased EU arms production “for itself” to demonstrate Europe’s defensive capabilities and “hit Putin where it hurts.”
Zelenskyy also expressed his full support for ending the war through diplomatic means.
He continued, highlighting the broader implications of Russia’s actions:
“Everyone already understands that Russia is the enemy, and they are capable of attacking any European country and occupying it. They have the strength and the will to do it. Yes, they are sick, but the main question is whether Russia will be able to come back again, occupy another country, or come up with something else. Or open the possibility of nuclear war. We must make it impossible for Putin and Russia to take such steps,” the Ukrainian president explained.
Zelenskyy referenced the period between 2014 and 2022 when Russia used a ceasefire to prepare for further occupation.
Previously, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in an interview for the European Pravda news outlet confirmed that Kyiv’s position regarding the aspiration to join NATO is firm. He reminded the audience that the course towards NATO membership has long been enshrined in the Constitution, and a convincing majority of Ukrainian society supports Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance.

According to the results of a sociological survey published by the New Europe Center and conducted by the Info Sapiens agency, 31.3% of Ukrainians consider the development of nuclear weapons to be the best guarantee of the country’s security, while 29.3% of respondents believe joining NATO would be the strongest option.
Also, according to the survey, Ukrainians consider the following to be the best security guarantees:
- Ukraine developing nuclear weapons – 31.3% of respondents;
- Joining NATO (without control over part of the territories) – 29.3%;
- A defence alliance with the United States, including the possibility of deploying US troops in Ukraine – 11.2%;
- UN peacekeepers – 8.9%;
- Deployment of European troops in Ukraine – 6.4%;
- Difficult to say – 12.9%.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned the European Parliament committee on January 13 that the current 2% defence spending target falls short of ensuring allies’ safety in the coming four to five years.
Rutte stressed that allies must urgently invest more in defence and defence production, improve process efficiency and strengthen the resilience of their societies and critical infrastructure in order to protect their people and way of life.
“To stay safe in the years to come, allies will need to spend considerably more than 2% […] Spending more on defence means spending less on other priorities. But it can make a big difference for our future,” he said.
In the meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht spread pro-Russian narratives at her party’s “pre-election” congress in Bonn on January 12, calling for an end to arms supplies to Ukraine, lifting of sanctions, and increased cooperation with Russia.
Wagenknecht presented her “Our country deserves more” election programme, a 39-page document promoting social promises and economic recovery through cheap Russian gas. She falsely claimed that sanctions against Russia “have nothing to do with the war and have zero effect” and “have nothing to do with morality.”
The party demands:
- Stopping German arms supplies to Ukraine
- Negotiations over Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories
- Organising referendums in occupied areas
- Ukraine’s readiness for compromises
Alternative für Deutschland party leader Alice Weidel pledged to restore nuclear power plants and resume Nord Stream pipeline operations if she gains power, according to NTV.
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, in an interview for the Civil Network OPORA, stated that Western countries lack the political will to confront Russia and are doing so with Ukrainian hands. Moreover, they do not even believe that Russia will attack them in the future. He emphasised that for EU countries, security is not a value but rather a comfort of life and the Zeitenwende has not shifted the mentality of German society. Klimkin is convinced that [Russian ruler Vladimir] “Putin and his entourage sense this weakness at an instinctual level”.