Yesterday, on November 11, a Russian ballistic missile hit a residential building in Kryvyi Rih, killing 32-year-old Olena Kulyk and her three children: two-month-old Ulyana, two-year-old Demid, and ten-year-old Kyrylo. The only survivor of the family is the father, Maksym Kulyk, who was in another room at the time of the attack.
Source: bbc.com
The tragedy occurred during another air raid alert in the city, which was announced on Monday morning. The head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, Oleksandr Vilkul, said that the city was hit by an Iskander-M missile fired from the territory of Crimea. The explosion completely destroyed the entrance of the five-story building where the Kulyk family lived on the third floor.
Maksym Kulyk’s mother, Iryna, told reporters that at the time of the explosion, her son was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and fell to the second floor, which saved his life. After hearing about the missile strike, Iryna immediately came to the destroyed house:
“I was at work, heard the explosion, started calling – no one answered. I came and saw such a disaster.”
Rescue services spent more than 13 hours searching for the bodies of the victims. In the evening, they found Olena’s body, and in the morning they found the children’s bodies. Commenting on the tragedy, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the actions of the Russian military “terrorist”.
“Kryvyi Rih. An ordinary five-story building that was hit by a missile from Russian terrorists. The apartments from the first to the fifth floor of one of the entrances were destroyed,” Zelenskyy said.
The strike injured 14 people, including two children. An eleven-year-old boy was hospitalized.
What is known about the Kulyk family
The Kulyk family was a member of the Blessing Church in Radushne, Dnipropetrovs’k region. According to church minister Mykola Koroliuk, the family joined the congregation about seven years ago and was actively involved in charitable activities. Olena helped Maksym with the distribution of lunches to the homeless, and Maksym also supported orphanages.
“It was such a wonderful family,” Korolyuk said, “Olena was a great mother, she had a good heart. They were people with a capital P.” He added that the family’s condolences are coming not only from locals, but also from people in America and other countries.
The funeral service for Olena Kulyk and her three children is scheduled for the Salvation House of Prayer. The city authorities have declared November 13 a day of mourning in Kryvyi Rih.
We express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and community who have lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy. The Kulyk family was an example of faith, kindness and service to others. Their bright presence touched the hearts of many – both those they helped and those who were honored to be around them.
May the Lord give the father the strength to endure this indescribable pain and loss.
