Dnipro Shluchim miraculously spared from Russian missile attack

Just a few meters from the Shluchim’s house in Dnipro, Ukraine, a large Russian rocket hit a residential building and got stuck on the ceiling of a Jewish family’s house. Miraculously, the rocket’s warhead did not explode and was safely defused by explosives experts.

By Anash.org Reporter

Just a few meters from the home of a Chabad emissary, a Russian missile hit a residential building in Dnipro, Ukraine, shortly before Shabbat, causing casualties and significant damage.

The missile struck a complex of residential buildings, leaving several people missing (presumed dead), one confirmed death, and twelve injured. The missile’s warhead, weighing several hundred kilograms, failed to explode, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of residents in the area until it was safely defused by explosives experts.

After destroying four floors, the rocket lodged itself in the ceiling of the home of a Jewish family who were not home, saving their lives. In the building opposite – where most of the windows were shattered – several Jewish families live, including a family of Shluchim who miraculously escaped unharmed.

The rocket landed on Vikonkumiska Street in the heart of the city, an area known for its large Jewish population. Several Shluchim and numerous Jewish families live within a few dozen meters of the impact site due to the proximity to the city’s Jewish community center. The homes of several Jewish families were damaged by the explosion, windows were broken, some suffered even more serious damage.

One of the Shluchim, originally from Israel and living in a nearby building, said: “We heard a huge explosion and saw choking smoke and dust rising from the building. It is a great miracle that the warhead did not explode, otherwise the death toll would have been much higher. Even the locals here speak of the great miracle that happened.”

The following Shabbat, Jewish residents of the surrounding buildings gathered to recite at the Menorah Center – the largest Jewish center in the world – under the direction of Rabbi Hagomel. Shmuel Kaminetzkythe Chief Rabbi and main emissary of Chabad in Dnipro. At the same time, the Jewish community evacuated the affected families to safer places.

rabbi Meir StamblerChairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU), whose headquarters are located not far from the rocket attack, said: “Our hearts ache for every person affected by this war, which daily claims the lives of young Ukrainians on the battlefield and innocent civilians through drone and missile attacks. We are grateful that, despite all the challenges, the city’s Jews can feel the support and embrace of the Jewish community, and we hope and pray that the Messiah will come soon and bring peace to the whole world.”

He added that despite the fear and danger, the shluchim in the city and throughout Ukraine do not intend to leave the city as long as they are needed to provide physical and spiritual assistance to every Jew. “In addition to the precautions we are taking, we trust that Hashem will protect us in the mission the Rebbe has given us – a mission that will not end until Moshiach Tzidkeinu comes.”