A grieving mother held her four-year-old daughter’s tiny hand for the last time after shrapnel from one of Putin’s missiles pierced her heart.
Nadiia Rostochyl and her husband Viacheslav laid little Zlata to rest in a coffin overflowing with flowers, dolls, and teddy bears.
The child was buried in Odesa, southern Ukraine, a city that has been relentlessly bombarded with aerial attacks by Russia in an effort to destroy the key port city.
On Sunday, the entire community gathered to mourn the loss of Zlata, who fought bravely for nearly a month before succumbing to her injuries.
Her mother was pictured holding her hand beside the small coffin, staring into her eyes that would never open again. Zlata’s home city had been hit by ballistic missiles and illegal cluster munitions on April 29.
The strike destroyed a university building and the Odesa Law Academy, known as the “Harry Potter Castle,” killing eight and injuring over 30, including another child and a pregnant woman.
Footage from the attack showed Odesa residents watching in horror as landmark buildings crumbled and burned while firefighters desperately tried to save the victims.
Local student Maria said at the time: “In front of my eyes, a missile was shot down, this was just in front of me. My doors were blown open and the glass was shaking. And then I saw this.”
