At least 16 individuals lost their lives, and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday in a targeted assault by Russian drones on a shopping center in central Ukraine, as confirmed by authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the incident as an “act of barbarism” and pledged a response.
The attack took place in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, leaving 22 children among the wounded. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported that 29 individuals, including five children, were in critical condition, with a distressing image showing black smoke emanating from a large industrial building.
Hanzha later updated that nine people, including two children, were considered missing, and efforts to clear the rubble were ongoing. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” highlighting a subsequent drone strike targeting emergency services, which he described as a deliberate act.
Expressing outrage, Zelenskyy labeled the attacks as terrorist acts and vowed a decisive response. European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, echoed similar sentiments, denouncing Moscow’s actions and describing the assault as a deliberate strategy to render Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.
Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, deplored the tragic impact on civilians in Kryvyi Rih, emphasizing the necessity of safeguarding civilians under international humanitarian law. Separately, in another assault on the same day, a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals, including three children.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to intensify, with Russia escalating its aerial attacks while Ukraine retaliates by targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure. This ongoing conflict follows Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, marking a prolonged state of all-out warfare between the two nations.
