‘My dearest Mommy, I will miss you so much’ Victims of Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih include two women remembered for their devotion to community

On April 2, Russia launched a missile at Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, killing four people. “Only sufficient pressure on Moscow can stop this,” Zelensky said, calling the strike a deliberate act of terror. “That pressure depends on our partners — on America, on Europe, and others around the world.” The next day, a local Telegram channel highlighted two of the victims — women remembered for their dedication to others. Here’s what we know about their lives.

Russian forces struck the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih with a missile on Wednesday evening, killing four people and injuring at least 17 others, according to local authorities. Among the dead were two women who worked at a car wash in the city — Yana Kurto and Inna Vintskovska.

According to the local Telegram channel SVOI. Kryvyi Rih, Yana was known in her community as someone who consistently supported Ukraine and helped those around her. She volunteered in several local initiatives, including efforts to locate the relatives of a fallen soldier. In 2023, her mother was hit by a car. Yana worked tirelessly to raise funds for her treatment, but despite her efforts, her mother did not survive.

Inna, 45, was a preschool teacher before the full-scale war and loved working with children, the Telegram channel reported. She is survived by her daughter, Polina, who was in Poland at the time of the strike. The family had planned to reunite for Easter. Instead, because of the Russian attack, they’ll gather to bury her.

“She texted me at 3:30 p.m. to say everything was fine,” said Polina. “Half an hour later, she was gone. My dearest Mommy, I will miss you so much.”