Ukrainian crews search for survivors after deadly Russian missile strike: July 15 recap

Crews searched for survivors Friday in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia after Ukraine authorities said a Russian missile strike killed at least 23 people and wounded about 100 more a day earlier.

Eighty people remained hospitalized, Ukraine's emergency service said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that four people were still missing after the strike.

Police identified 19 of the people killed, Ihor Klymenko, head of the National Police, said in a Facebook post. Among the victims were a 4-year-old girl and two boys at ages 7 and 8, he said.

The missiles damaged more than 50 buildings, including a hospital, Klymenko previously said, calling the strike "a cynical, cruel and insidious crime that has no excuse" in another Facebook post.

Teams, including sniffer dogs, scoured the debris of destroyed residential and commercial buildings Friday, focusing their attention on two sites – an office building with a medical center inside, and a concert hall near an outdoor recreation area and park.

Other developments

►Russia remains barred from some of Europe's best-known soccer competitions, including the Champions League, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday rejected appeals by the country's national soccer federation and four clubs, upholding decisions to exclude Russia by the Union of European Football Associations and FIFA.

►Bulgaria will continue to repair Ukrainian military equipment even after Moscow's decision to suspend Russian helicopter repair certificates to Bulgarian companies, the country's defense minister, Dragomir Zakov, said Friday. Bulgaria has previously refused to send weapons directly to Ukraine but agreed to repair Ukrainian military equipment at its factories.

4-year-old girl killed in Russian missile strike was 'always cheerful'

One of the children killed in the Russian strike in Vinnytsia was 4-year-old Liza, who was en route to an appointment with her mother on Thursday. Her mother, Iryna Dmytrieva, was among the injured.

“She remembered that she was reaching for her daughter, and Liza was already dead,” Iryna’s aunt, Tetiana Dmytrysyna, told The Associated Press on Friday. “The mother was robbed of the most precious thing she had.”

Photos of Liza's body on the ground next to her blood-stained stroller were widely shared on social media after the missile strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wife Olena Zelenska posted that she had met the “wonderful girl," who had Down syndrome, while filming a Christmas video with a group of children.

“Liza was a sunny baby,” her great-aunt recalled. “She was a very bright child. She knew how to draw, spoke, always helped adults and always smiled. Always cheerful.”

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British aid worker dies in custody of pro-Russian separatists

Paul Urey, a 45-year-old British aid worker who was detained by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine has died, authorities said.

Daria Morozova, the human rights ombudswoman for the Moscow-backed separatist leadership in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, accused Urey of being a British "mercenary." She said he died of chronic illness and stress on Sunday.

The co-founder of the Presidium Network aid charity said Urey had diabetes and required regular insulin.

"It’s obvious that his welfare was not looked after," Byrne said, adding that British officials had notified Urey’s family of his death and calling for his body to be released and returned to his family.

Urey was detained in April along with Dylan Healy, another British man, while the two were working on their own to help evacuate civilians.

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Brittney Griner's lawyer presents doctor's letter for cannabis

A lawyer for basketball star Brittney Griner presented a Russian court on Friday with a doctor's letter recommending cannabis to treat pain, days after Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays basketball for a Russian team during the WNBA's off-season, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian authorities said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of drug-related charges.

The U.S. government is facing mounting pressure to secure Griner's release, an effort likely made difficult amid tensions fueled by Russia's invasion of and ongoing war with Ukraine.

The next hearing for the case was scheduled for July 26. Lawyers say sentencing in the case may happen in the next few weeks.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine live updates: Crews search for survivors after missile strike