On Friday, a series of Russian drone strikes targeted a shopping center in central Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 individuals and injuries to over 130, according to officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to respond to what he termed an “act of barbarism.”
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported that among the injured were 22 children during the daytime assault on Kryvyi Rih, the president’s hometown.
Hanzha indicated that “29 people are in critical condition, including five children.” He shared an image capturing thick black smoke rising from a significant industrial building.
In a Saturday update, Hanzha stated that nine individuals were initially deemed missing, including two children, while rescue teams continued to sift through the debris of the shopping center.
Individuals embrace each other close to the site of the shopping mall attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Friday. (The Associated Press)
Zelenskyy condemned the assault as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” noting that a second drone struck the shopping center thirty minutes after the first, which he claimed was a deliberate move aimed at emergency responders.
‘We will definitely respond’
“Such attacks are nothing short of acts of terrorism,” Zelenskyy stated on Telegram, calling on the international community to hold Russia accountable. “We will definitely respond.”
In a post on X, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, remarked that the incident at the shopping center “demonstrates the complete and utter depravity of Moscow’s war.”
“This is terror by design,” Kallas added in her message. “Russia aims to make Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.”
In what many perceive as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s greatest challenge since the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022, ousted defense 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, criticized the tragic toll on civilians resulting from Friday’s attack in Kryvyi Rih.
“International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects,” Schmale stated in a release. “Civilians must always be safeguarded.”
In a separate incident on Friday, reports from Ukrainian state media indicated that at least four individuals, including three children, lost their lives and a woman was injured following a Russian drone strike in the southern region of Mykolaiv.
As the conflict nears the 4.5-year mark, Russia is intensifying its air campaign against Ukraine. On Thursday, a Russian ballistic missile strike in Kyiv resulted in the deaths of 17 people.
Ukraine has also increased its own offensive actions against Russia, targeting oil installations and logistical infrastructure to weaken Moscow’s war capabilities.
The two nations have remained in a state of total conflict since Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.