At least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday when multiple Russian drones targeted a shopping center in central Ukraine, as confirmed by authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate against what he described as an “act of barbarism.” The daytime assault in the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace, resulted in 22 children among the wounded, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Hanzha reported that 29 individuals, including five children, are in critical condition due to the attack, showcasing black smoke emanating from a large industrial structure. An update provided by Hanzha early Saturday revealed that nine people, two of whom are children, were initially unaccounted for, while rescue teams continued their efforts to clear the debris at the shopping center.
Describing the incident as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” Zelenskyy highlighted that a second Russian drone struck the shopping center half an hour after the initial attack in an apparent deliberate move to target emergency responders. He labeled such assaults as terrorist acts and pledged a definitive response, calling on the global community to hold Russia accountable.
In a statement on X, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, condemned the shopping center attack as a display of Moscow’s extreme cruelty in warfare. Kallas emphasized that Russia’s objective is to render Ukrainian cities uninhabitable through acts of terror.
UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, denounced the tragic toll on civilians resulting from the Friday attack in Kryvyi Rih, stressing the imperative to safeguard civilians and civilian infrastructure as per international humanitarian law. Separately, a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv claimed the lives of at least four individuals, including three children, with a woman sustaining injuries.
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine approaches its 4-1/2-year mark, Russia has intensified its aerial assaults on Ukraine, while Ukraine has retaliated by targeting Russian oil facilities and logistical infrastructure to disrupt Moscow’s military capabilities. The ongoing conflict commenced with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, plunging both nations into a protracted state of warfare.