16 Dead, 130 Injured After Russian Drones Hit Shopping Centre In Ukraine

The death toll from a Russian drone attack on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has risen to 16, while 130 people have been injured, including children, Ukrainian authorities said.

The attack on Friday caused extensive damage to the shopping complex and triggered a major rescue operation. Authorities said nine people remain missing, including two children, as emergency workers continue searching through the rubble.

Ukrainian officials described the assault as a “double-tap” attack, alleging that a second wave of drones struck after the initial attack, when emergency personnel were already responding to the damage. Zelenskyy condemned the strikes and said Ukraine would respond.

The latest attack was part of a wider Russian aerial offensive that caused casualties in several parts of Ukraine. In the Mykolaiv region, Russian strikes killed four people, including three children, while attacks were also reported in the Kharkiv region.

Ukraine's air force said it had shot down or suppressed 107 of 135 Russian drones launched overnight. Despite those interceptions, several drones reached their targets, highlighting the continuing pressure on Ukraine's air-defence network.

The attack came only a day after a major Russian missile and drone barrage on Kyiv, which killed at least 16 people. Repeated attacks have intensified concerns about Ukraine's shortage of air-defence systems, particularly US-made Patriot interceptors, which are considered crucial against Russian ballistic missiles.

Russia and Ukraine have simultaneously expanded their long-range drone campaigns. Ukrainian forces have increasingly used domestically produced drones to strike targets deep inside Russia, while Moscow has reported intercepting hundreds of Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.

For Kryvyi Rih, the latest tragedy is another devastating reminder of the war's human cost. With nine people still missing, rescue teams remain focused on finding survivors and recovering those trapped beneath the debris.