At least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday when multiple Russian drones targeted a shopping center in central Ukraine, as confirmed by authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate against what he described as an “act of barbarism.”
The regional governor, Oleksandr Hanzha, disclosed that among those affected by the daytime assault in the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace, were 22 children. “There are 29 people in critical condition, including five children,” Hanzha stated, sharing a photograph showing black smoke emanating from a large industrial structure.
Providing an update early on Saturday, Hanzha mentioned that nine individuals, including two children, were currently considered missing, and rescue teams were actively working to clear the debris at the shopping center.
Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” highlighting that a second Russian drone struck the shopping center thirty minutes after the initial incident, in an apparent deliberate effort to target emergency responders.
“We will definitely respond,” Zelenskyy affirmed on Telegram, characterizing such attacks as acts of terrorism and urging global accountability for Russia’s actions. In a post on X, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, denounced the shopping center assault as evidence of Moscow’s malicious warfare strategy.
Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, strongly criticized the deadly consequences suffered by civilians in the Kryvyi Rih attack on Friday, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law.
In a separate assault on the same day, Ukrainian state media reported that a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals, including three children, and left a woman injured.
With the conflict between Russia and Ukraine approaching its 4-1/2-year mark, Russia has intensified its aerial operations against Ukraine, while Ukraine has retaliated by targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to disrupt Moscow’s war capabilities. The ongoing full-scale invasion by Russia since February 2022 has plunged both nations into a state of relentless conflict.