Dnipro : A Russian Iskander ballistic missile struck central Dnipro on December 10, 2025, killing four civilians—including a mother and her two young children—and injuring at least 40 others in one of the deadliest attacks on the city this winter. The missile hit at 7:15 PM local time, obliterating two residential apartment blocks and sending shockwaves that shattered windows within a 2-kilometer radius.
Firefighters and rescue crews worked through sub-zero temperatures overnight, pulling survivors from burning debris as freezing winds complicated emergency efforts. Among the victims was 28-year-old nurse Olena Kovalenko, who died while walking to her shift.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the site early Wednesday, condemning the strike as “Putin’s terror” and vowing retaliatory drone and missile attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. “Our drones will answer,” he said, pledging a response that will “limit Russia’s battlefield capabilities.”
The attack marks the 500th confirmed Iskander launch since Russia’s 2022 invasion, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. Dnipro—a major logistics and industrial hub—has suffered over 200 strikes in 2025 alone, severely straining its infrastructure and war economy. Steel production at nearby mills was halted following the blast.
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed the strike targeted “military warehouses,” but Ukrainian officials and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described it as a deliberate attack on civilians. NATO announced a $1 billion air-defense package, while EU leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, approved new sanctions on 50 Russian entities linked to the assault.
With temperatures plunging, nearly 1 million residents in Dnipro are experiencing rolling blackouts. UNHCR has deployed 10,000 emergency winter shelters to support displaced families.
Zelenskyy is expected to address the UN Security Council, urging accountability and reiterating calls for an ICC arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
