BAT YAM, Israel — A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded when a direct Iranian missile strike on a residential building in Bat Yam killed 7-year-old Nastia Borik, a Ukrainian girl who had come to Israel seeking life-saving treatment for leukemia. At least 3 of her family members were also killed in the blast.

Nastia’s mother, Maria Pashkorovia (30); grandmother, Lena Peshkurova (60); and two young cousins — Konstantin Totvich (9) and Ilya Peshkurov (13) — were inside the building when it was struck. The missile caused a total collapse of their section of the building.

Borik’s mother, Maria Pashkorovia, is still listed as missing, one of the few people unaccounted for after the devastating strike. Rescue crews continue searching the rubble.

The family fled Odessa, Ukraine in December 2022. Though not Jewish, they were granted entry into Israel to help Nastia receive advanced leukemia treatment. Her cancer briefly went into remission, but returned earlier this year. A bone marrow transplant failed, and her family remained in Israel in hopes of saving her life.

Nastia’s father, Artem Borik, is still in Ukraine, serving on the front lines with the Storm Brigade amid the war with Russia. Travel restrictions for men under 60 kept him from joining the family.

The Ukrainian Embassy confirmed the deaths and is coordinating with Israeli officials to arrange the return of the bodies. However, Israeli airspace closures following the attack have caused delays.

“On June 14, five Ukrainian citizens, including three minors, were killed in a massive Iranian missile strike on Israel, when a missile hit a residential building in Bat Yam,” the Ukrainian Embassy said in a statement.

Israeli neighbors described the terrifying moment: “We were in bed when it happened… There was a loud boom, we saw a flash, and heavy smoke. Glass was everywhere.”

“This was not a military strike. It was a direct attack on civilians. Nastia came to Israel to survive cancer and was killed by an Iranian missile instead.,” one distraught family friend said.