The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has expressed disappointment in the US embassy’s response to a Russian missile strike that killed 18 people, including nine children, in Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Zelenskyy, who has been cautious about openly criticising Washington since an uneasy White House meeting with Donald Trump in February, wrote on X that several embassies in Kyiv had condemned Friday’s attack and singled out Russia for carrying it out.

Zelenskyy noted that the message from the US embassy made no reference to Russia in condemning the attack. “Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. Embassy is surprisingly disappointing – such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction,” Zelenskyy wrote in English. “They are afraid to even say the word ‘Russian’ when speaking about the missile that murdered children.”

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, wrote about the strike in a post on X: “Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih. More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end.” Under Trump, the US has moved to improve relations with Russia, a shift from the approach of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Zelenskyy has made efforts to smooth over relations with Trump since the Oval Office altercation and has praised US efforts to work towards a settlement of the three-year-old war with Russia.