At least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 suffered injuries on Friday following multiple Russian drone strikes on a shopping center in central Ukraine, as per authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate against what he described as an “act of barbarism.” Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha disclosed that 22 children were among those injured during the daytime assault on Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace. Hanzha mentioned that 29 individuals, including five children, are in critical condition, with a photo showing dark smoke emerging from a large industrial structure.
Hanzha provided an update early on Saturday, indicating that nine individuals, including two children, were listed as missing. Rescue teams continue to clear the wreckage at the shopping center. Zelenskyy denounced the attack as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” revealing that a second Russian drone struck the shopping center half an hour after the initial attack, allegedly targeting emergency responders.
Describing the assaults as terrorist acts, Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that they will not go unanswered and called on the world to hold Russia accountable. In a statement, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, condemned the shopping center attack as a manifestation of Moscow’s brutal warfare, aiming to render Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.
Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Ukraine, deplored the devastating impact on civilians resulting from the attacks in Kryvyi Rih. He emphasized that international humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing the need to safeguard civilians at all times.
In a separate incident on Friday, at least four individuals, including three children, perished, and a woman sustained injuries in a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv, as reported by Ukrainian state media on Telegram. Russia has intensified its aerial assaults on Ukraine as the conflict on the ground nears the 4-1/2-year mark. Additionally, Ukraine has increased its strikes on Russia, targeting oil installations and logistical networks to undermine Moscow’s war capabilities. The ongoing conflict between the two nations commenced with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
