At least 15 individuals lost their lives and over 130 sustained injuries on Friday as multiple Russian drones targeted a shopping center in central Ukraine, as per official reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the incident as an “act of barbarism” and vowed to retaliate. The attack occurred in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, with regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha disclosing that 22 children were among the injured. Hanzha added that 29 individuals, including five children, are in critical condition following the daytime assault.
Images captured black smoke emanating from a large industrial structure, shared by Hanzha. Zelenskyy described the assault 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 deliberately.
Labeling such assaults as terrorist acts, Zelenskyy urged the global community to hold Russia accountable and pledged a response. In a separate incident on the same day, at least four individuals, including three children, perished, and a woman sustained injuries due to a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, as reported by Ukrainian state media.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to intensify, with Russia escalating its aerial assaults as the military confrontation nears the 4-1/2-year mark. Recent casualties include 17 individuals killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has reciprocated by targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to hinder Moscow’s war capabilities. The ongoing conflict between the two nations began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
