Russian drone attack on Ukrainian shopping center kills 16, injures over 100

Rescue teams continued searching for victims in the rubble of a Ukrainian shopping center on Saturday, following a daylight Russian drone attack that killed at least 16 people and wounded over 100. Four individuals remain missing after the bombing in Krivyi Rih, central Ukraine, on Friday.

As both nations intensify hostilities, resulting in a growing number of civilian casualties, the drones ignited fires in the commercial complex, which Ukrainian authorities described as the most significant in the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The provisional death toll stands at 16, with at least 130 injured, including 23 children. Over 60 people required hospitalization, 29 in serious condition.

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An absolutely cynical and despicable attack.

Zelenskyy denounced the attack as "absolutely cynical and despicable" on social media, reiterating his call for increased pressure on Russia. He stated that drones struck in two waves, with a second attack targeting rescue services responding to the initial blaze. Krivyi Rih, an industrial city near the front lines, has been repeatedly bombed throughout the war.

This incident occurs as long-range attacks have multiplied on both sides of the front, increasingly targeting civilian facilities and causing more casualties. On Saturday, seven more deaths were reported in cross-border attacks. Ukrainian officials reported two deaths in a Russian attack near Kyiv, and one each in the capital and Zaporizhzhia. In Russia, two children died and their parents were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on a home in the Krasnodar region, while another person died in a drone attack in the Samara region. Kyiv also reportedly attacked an Ozon e-commerce company warehouse. Ukraine's allies are scheduled to meet on Monday, the country's independence day.

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The drones of attack struck in two waves: half an hour after the first attack and the fire, a second attack occurred, targeting the rescue services.