At least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday due to multiple Russian drone strikes on a shopping center in central Ukraine, as per authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the incident as an “act of barbarism” and vowed a response. The attack in the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, resulted in 22 children among the wounded, with 29 people in critical condition, including five children, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha. Hanzha also mentioned that nine individuals, including two children, were reported missing following the attack.
In an update provided early on Saturday, Hanzha stated that rescue operations were ongoing to clear the rubble of the shopping center. Zelenskyy described the assault as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” highlighting that a second Russian drone struck the shopping center half an hour after the initial attack, with the apparent aim to target emergency services. He labeled such attacks as terrorist acts and emphasized that Ukraine would retaliate.
European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, characterized the shopping center attack as a display of Moscow’s malevolence, aiming to render Ukrainian cities uninhabitable. Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Ukraine, condemned the impact on civilians from the attack in Kryvyi Rih, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Separately, 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 Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its 4-1/2-year mark, with Russia intensifying its air warfare against Ukraine. Notably, both countries have engaged in reciprocal attacks, with Ukraine targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to disrupt Moscow’s war capabilities. Since Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the two nations have been embroiled in a continuous state of conflict.