Members of the Ukraine Relief team survived a deadly Russian missile strike on the Central Hotel in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, on Wednesday night.

Ukraine Relief founder Karol Swiacki, trustee Marc Edwards and Adam Carmel were at the hotel with Ukrainian partners Igor Logvinov and Valentina Lysenko when a missile warning appeared on their companions’ phones.

As the group began moving towards the shelter, an explosion struck the hotel. The blast shattered windows and filled the restaurant and corridors with smoke, dust and debris.

“We took two steps and there was a big boom,” Karol said. “Within seconds, everything changed into a nightmare. We couldn’t see and we couldn’t breathe.”

With help from hotel staff and local friends, the group escaped through a broken window. Everyone in their party survived without serious physical injuries.

Outside the hotel, they found extensive damage, injured people and victims trapped beneath the rubble. Seven people were killed, 32 were wounded and 20 were reported to be in critical condition following the attack.

Karol and Marc returned to the hotel to check whether anyone needed help and to recover essential documents and belongings.

The Ukraine Relief vehicles parked outside were destroyed. They had been carrying sports equipment donated by Intersport Ukraine and Epicentre, along with generators and other essential supplies for schools, shelters, orphanages and displaced families.

After sleeping for only three hours, the team faced a difficult decision the following morning: cancel the mission or continue.

They chose to continue.

Children at a local school were waiting for them, and the team did not want to let them down. Working alongside their Ukrainian partners, they delivered sports equipment and toys and spent time with students growing up in the shadow of war.

“We couldn’t let the children be disappointed,” Karol said. “They need people who can give them hope.”

During the mission, Ukraine Relief also continued its work across the Zaporizhzhia region, visiting schools, orphanages and families whose lives have been destabilised by the war. The team delivered practical assistance and spent time with communities in need of hope and human connection as well as humanitarian aid.

For Ukraine Relief, standing with Ukraine is not only about providing physical or financial assistance. It is also about emotional support, presence and solidarity showing people that, even in the most tragic circumstances, they are not alone.

“We are so lucky to be alive,” Karol said. “I will never stop helping people after this.”

Despite the devastating attack, Ukraine Relief’s humanitarian work in Ukraine will continue