Drone strike on Ukrainian shopping center kills 14, injures 121; Zelensky calls it 'despicable'

Russian drone attacks on Friday killed at least 18 people and injured over 120 in Ukraine, with a midday strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih drawing condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelensky. The attack on his hometown, located in central Ukraine, was described by Zelensky as "absolutely cynical and despicable" and a "terrorist act."

Drones struck the Kryvyi Rih shopping center, causing fires and killing 14 people, with 121 injured, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Zelensky stated that the attack occurred in "two waves," with the second targeting rescue services. He urged the international community to respond with "real pressure on the aggressor."

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absolutely cynical and despicable attack on an ordinary shopping center in Kryvyi Rih

In a separate incident in the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine, four people, including three minors, were killed and a fire broke out in a shop, pharmacy, and post office. Zelensky also discussed the ongoing Russian attacks and civilian casualties with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The attacks come as Russia's long-range strikes have increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure, including logistics warehouses and residential buildings, causing a growing number of casualties. This follows a major Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv the previous day, which killed 17 people and injured over 40.

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Such attacks are nothing but terrorist acts. And the world must react accordingly – real pressure on the aggressor