At least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday as multiple Russian drones targeted a shopping center in central Ukraine, according to authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed a response to what he labeled an “act of barbarism.” The daytime attack in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, resulted in 22 children among the wounded, as mentioned by regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Hanzha stated that 29 individuals, including five children, are in serious condition following the assault, with a photo showing black smoke rising from a large industrial structure. In an update released early on Saturday, Hanzha noted that nine people, including two children, were considered missing, and rescue efforts were ongoing to clear the debris at the shopping center.
Zelenskyy denounced the attack as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” highlighting that a second Russian drone struck the shopping center half an hour after the initial attack, purportedly aiming to target emergency services. Describing such attacks as terrorist acts, Zelenskyy assured a retaliatory response and urged the global community to hold Russia accountable.
Reflecting on the incident, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the shopping center attack as an illustration of Moscow’s malevolence, branding it as “terror by design” with the objective of rendering Ukrainian cities uninhabitable. Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, deplored the civilian casualties resulting from the assault in Kryvyi Rih, emphasizing the imperative of safeguarding civilians as per international humanitarian law.
In a separate development on the same day, a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv claimed the lives of at least four individuals, including three children, while leaving a woman wounded. The escalation of Russia’s air campaign in Ukraine coincides with the prolonged conflict that has persisted for over 4-1/2 years. Amid the intensifying hostilities, Ukraine has retaliated by targeting Russian oil facilities and logistical infrastructure to undermine Moscow’s military capabilities.
The ongoing conflict between the two nations stems from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, plunging them into a protracted state of all-out warfare.