At least 16 individuals lost their lives, and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday following multiple drone strikes by Russian forces on a shopping center in central Ukraine, as confirmed by officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed a retaliation against what he labeled an “act of barbarism.” The assault took place in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace, leaving 22 children among the injured, stated regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Hanzha reported that 29 individuals, including five children, were in critical condition, with a photo he shared showing dark smoke emerging from a large industrial structure. An update on Saturday revealed that nine people, including two children, were deemed missing, and rescue efforts continued to clear the wreckage at the shopping complex.
Zelenskyy denounced the attack as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” noting that a second drone strike targeted the shopping center half an hour after the initial attack in an apparent effort to hinder emergency response services. Describing the acts as terrorist actions, Zelenskyy emphasized the necessity for Russia to be held accountable, asserting that Ukraine will retaliate.
In a statement on social media platform X, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy leader, condemned the shopping center assault as a display of Moscow’s extreme cruelty in the ongoing conflict. Kallas characterized the incident as a deliberate act of terror by Russia to make Ukrainian urban areas uninhabitable.
The UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, criticized the devastating impact on civilians resulting from the Kryvyi Rih attack, emphasizing the imperative to safeguard civilians according to international humanitarian law. Separately, Ukrainian state media reported that at least four individuals, including three children, perished and a woman sustained injuries following a Russian drone strike in Mykolaiv region on Friday.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has escalated, with Russia intensifying its aerial assaults as the protracted conflict approaches its 4-1/2-year mark. Meanwhile, Ukraine has retaliated by targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to undermine Moscow’s military capabilities. The two nations have been engaged in a full-scale conflict since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.