Two killed in Russian strike on Ukrainian shopping mall

A Russian strike on a busy shopping center in Ukraine's central city of Kryvyi Rig killed two people and wounded 15 on Friday, authorities reported. Shops inside the mall caught fire, with unverified social media videos showing rescuers aiding the injured and what appeared to be a second drone impacting the smoking building.

Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, stated that the number of casualties was growing. Kryvyi Rig, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been repeatedly targeted by Russia throughout the four-year war. The industrial city is located about 60 kilometers from the front line.

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Two people have been killed, 15 have been wounded. The number of casualties from the enemy attack on Kryvyi Rig is growing.

This attack comes as countries allied with Ukraine are set to meet on Monday to reaffirm their support for Kyiv. The meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Around 10 leaders, including European Council chief Antonio Costa, are expected in Kyiv for the talks, with NATO's deputy secretary-general also participating remotely.

President Zelensky has urged a global response to Moscow's "escalation" of the conflict. In July, the coalition members, which was launched by France and the UK in February 2022 to provide military support, gathered for their 16th meeting. During that session, allies pledged more air-defense support for Ukraine and discussed force deployment plans after a ceasefire to pressure Russia into ending the war.

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escalation