Sixteen-year-old Kostiantyn Novik had stepped out with his cousin to spend time with their friends. Not far from them, 57-year-old welder Serhii Smotolok sat with a bottle of beer on a restaurant terrace, winding down after finishing work.
Seven-year-old Radislav Yatsko was in the back seat of his parents’ car, heading home after a day at their country place as they passed by the same playground.
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Everything changed in seconds when a missile fired by Russia exploded near the area where the children were gathered. The explosion sent metal shards flying through the air, tearing through people and objects without warning.
Kostiantyn and his cousin both lost their lives instantly, the blast severing Kostiantyn’s leg. Mr. Smotolok was also hit by sharp fragments and died there on the terrace. Radislav suffered fatal injuries when a piece of shrapnel hit his head and damaged his skull.
According to Radislav’s father, Rodion Yatsko, the entire scene was soaked in blood. He recalled begging emergency workers to help his son. One of the medics later approached their car, checked inside, and quietly told them that the child had died.
Painful Toll of the Missile Strike
The missile attack that happened last Friday claimed the lives of 19 people, including nine young children. It has been marked as the deadliest single strike on children since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, based on data from the United Nations.
Kryvyi Rih, where the attack occurred, experienced its worst day of the war so far, causing widespread grief and leading to a national day of mourning on Sunday. On Wednesday morning, over 30 ambassadors and diplomats, including the representative from the United States, arrived at the site of the playground.
Their visit was arranged by Ukraine’s foreign minister as a way to honor the victims and show support. People who live in Kryvyi Rih, the city where President Volodymyr Zelensky is from, see this tragedy as another hard reminder that the war has not ended, even after three years.
Despite peace talks between both sides, Russian missiles and drones keep targeting towns and cities far away from the front-line battles. Reports from the United Nations showed that 164 civilians were killed in Ukraine last month alone.
That number was 50 percent higher than in February and 70 percent higher compared to the same month last year. Kryvyi Rih was listed as one of the worst-hit locations during these attacks.
Russian officials said that their missile was meant to target a meeting of Ukrainian and Western military officers at the restaurant next to the playground. But video footage examined by The New York Times told a different story.
It showed the restaurant filled with women attending a beauty workshop, and staff members were seen cleaning the room shortly before the explosion.
Families Caught in Grief
Before the tragedy, Kostiantyn had asked permission from his aunt and guardian, Liubov Svoroba, to visit the playground with his cousin. At first, she hesitated, but later allowed them to go.
The playground had become one of the few places where the boys could forget about the war and enjoy themselves using the exercise benches and machines scattered around the area.
Ms. Svoroba, who is 65, said the boys just wanted to meet their friends and take a walk. But just moments after they arrived, the missile hit the site.
From inside her home just a few blocks away, 66-year-old Olga Yaroshenko noticed a large cloud of smoke and dust rising from the playground. Her immediate thought was about her partner, Mr. Smotolok, who had gone to the restaurant terrace for a drink.
They had been together for eight years, having found each other later in life. Their shared goal was to save enough to buy a new car, something he had always dreamed of.
As she hurried to the location of the strike, she came across bodies scattered across the area. Some were already covered by blankets. She saw the remains of a woman, a teenager, and several children. “It felt like I was looking at a graveyard,” she said. “The cries and shouting were everywhere. It was more than I could handle.”
She searched for Mr. Smotolok but couldn’t find him. Despite the destruction, she hoped he had survived. Then her phone rang and his number appeared on the screen. “I thought, maybe he made it,” she said, recalling the brief moment of relief.
