On Friday, authorities reported that at least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 were injured when multiple Russian drones targeted a shopping mall in central Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed a response to what he described as an “act of barbarism.”
According to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha, 22 children were among those hurt in the daytime assault on Kryvyi Rih, which is the hometown of Zelenskyy.
Hanzha noted, “There are 29 individuals in serious condition, including five children.” He shared an image showing thick black smoke rising from a large industrial structure.
In an update early Saturday, Hanzha mentioned that nine people were initially reported missing, including two children, and that rescue operations were ongoing to remove debris from the shopping center.
People embrace one another near the site of the shopping mall attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Friday. (The Associated Press)
Zelenskyy characterized the assault as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” indicating that a second drone struck the shopping center thirty minutes after the first, which he claimed was a calculated move to target emergency responders.
‘We will definitely respond’
“Such attacks are nothing short of acts of terrorism,” Zelenskyy stated via Telegram, calling for the international community to hold Russia accountable. “We will definitely respond.”
In a post on X, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, remarked that the assault on the shopping center “highlights the absolute depravity of Moscow’s war.”
“This is terror by design,” Kallas added in her message. “Russia aims to render Ukrainian cities unlivable.”
In what many view as Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy’s most significant challenge since the 2022 Russian invasion, ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has publicly demanded a wartime presidential election. Fedorov’s dismissal last month sparked protests throughout Ukraine.
Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, condemned the devastating effect on civilians resulting from the attack in Kryvyi Rih.
“International humanitarian law forbids indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures,” Schmale stated in a release. “Civilians must be safeguarded at all times.”
In another attack on the same day, at least four individuals, including three children, lost their lives, and a woman was injured following a Russian drone strike in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian state media via Telegram.
As the conflict approaches the 4.5-year mark, Russia is intensifying its aerial assaults on Ukraine. On Thursday, a Russian ballistic missile strike resulted in the deaths of 17 people in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Ukraine has also escalated its own offensives against Russia, targeting oil facilities and logistical networks to weaken Moscow’s capacity to continue its military efforts.
Since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022, the two nations have been engaged in a state of total conflict.