Horror in Ukraine: Russian Strike Hits Shopping Mall in Zelenskyy's Hometown
A devastating Russian strike on a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, resulted in at least 14 deaths and 121 injuries, including children, drawing strong condemnation from President Zelenskyy. This attack contributes to a recent surge in Russian aggression across the country, with other deadly strikes reported in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv. Concurrently, Ukraine claims to have hit Russian military targets in occupied territories.At least 14 people were killed and 121 others injured in a Russian strike on a shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, confirmed the growing number of casualties from the "enemy attack on Kryvyi Rig," noting that shops inside the mall caught fire. The industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, located approximately 60 kilometers from the frontline, has been a frequent target of Russian aggression since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Among the injured were at least 22 children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose hometown is Kryvyi Rih, condemned the attack on social media X as "cynical and despicable," emphasizing that it was an "ordinary shopping center." Zelenskyy described the attack as occurring in two waves, with a second drone striking "half an hour after the first hit and the ensuing fire," specifically targeting emergency services. He urged "the world" to respond "accordingly – with real pressure on the aggressor." Unverified videos circulating on social media showed victims receiving aid from rescuers and what appeared to be a second drone crashing into the already smoking building minutes after the initial strike.
This incident is part of an intensified campaign of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months. According to the UN, the civilian death toll has reached its highest level since the initial months of the war. On Friday afternoon, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported one person killed after a Russian drone attack on the community of Bereza in the Sumy region. The previous day, Thursday, a Russian strike on a shopping center in the Eastern town of Kramatorsk also claimed two lives.
Russian overnight and early morning attacks further resulted in at least five deaths. In the village of Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, a 46-year-old woman was killed when a "Russian guided aerial bomb struck" her house, as reported by Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration. Further north, in the frontline village of Lebiazhe in the Kharkiv region, four people, including two women aged 73 and 66, died after Russian drones attacked the village, sparking fires in residential areas, according to Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration. Moscow launched a total of 135 drones overnight on Ukraine, striking 16 locations, with 107 of them reportedly downed by Ukraine's Armed Forces.
On the other hand, Ukraine reported successful strikes against Russian forces. These operations targeted drone storage sites, logistics warehouses, command posts, and communication facilities belonging to Russian forces, situated in the temporarily occupied regions of Donetsk and Crimea.