At least 15 people have been killed in a Russian double-tap drone strike on a shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, local officials have said.
Another 130 people—incl. 23 children—were injured in the city’s largest mall, and more were reportedly trapped in the rubble.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack “absolutely cynical and despicable” and said it was delivered in two waves, the second aimed at emergency workers.
Video footage released by the BBC confirms the second drone hit the already burning building.
Early casualty reports
Kryvyi Rih mayor Oleksandr Vilkul noted drones flew at extremely low altitudes, describing the attackers as “animals” and reported missing people who were unresponsive to calls.
Regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said 15 deaths had been confirmed, including two who later died in hospital, and 130 injuries, 29 serious.
Rescue teams from four other Ukrainian regions were mobilised to search for survivors, while specialists were dispatched to provide psychological support to victims.
This attack follows a string of drone and missile incursions across Ukraine, including recent cases in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, and Ukraine’s own retaliatory strikes on Russian facilities.
The Russian invasion began in February 2022, and Moscow now controls about one‑fifth of Ukrainian territory.
