At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, authorities said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the assault as an “act of barbarism” and vowed a response.
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on Zelenskiy’s hometown. “There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” Hanzha said, sharing a photograph of thick black smoke pouring from a large industrial building.
In an update early on Saturday, Hanzha said nine people were preliminarily considered missing, including two children, as rescue workers continued to clear the rubble of the shopping centre. The scale of destruction has complicated efforts to account for everyone caught in the blast.
Second Drone Targeted Emergency Responders
Zelenskiy called the attack “absolutely cynical and despicable,” revealing that a second Russian drone hit the shopping centre roughly half an hour after the first. He said this was a deliberate attempt to target emergency services already working at the scene.
“Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram, urging the international community to hold Russia accountable. “We will definitely respond.”
The tactic of striking the same location twice, known as a double-tap strike, has been used repeatedly during the war to kill first responders and rescue personnel. Ukrainian officials have documented dozens of such incidents since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Separate Strike Kills Three Children in Mykolaiv
In a separate attack on Friday, at least four people were killed, including three children, after a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, according to Ukrainian state media. A woman was also wounded in that assault.
The deadly strikes come as Russia escalates its air war on Ukraine while ground fighting grinds toward the four-and-a-half-year mark. On Thursday, 17 people were killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the capital Kyiv, marking one of the deadliest single strikes on the city in months.
Ukraine Steps Up Counterstrikes on Russian Infrastructure
Ukraine has intensified its own attacks on Russian territory, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to undermine Moscow’s ability to sustain its war effort. Ukrainian drones have struck refineries, fuel depots, and military airfields deep inside Russia, forcing the Kremlin to divert air defence resources away from the front lines.
The tit-for-tat escalation has raised concerns among Western allies about the potential for further civilian casualties on both sides of the border. However, Ukrainian officials maintain that their strikes are aimed solely at military and energy infrastructure supporting Russia’s invasion.
International humanitarian law prohibits attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects. The deliberate targeting of rescue workers is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
As rescue operations continue in Kryvyi Rih, the city joins a growing list of Ukrainian communities devastated by long-range drone and missile strikes. The full human toll of Friday’s attack may not be known for days as emergency crews sift through the charred remains of the shopping centre.
