Kryvyi Rih drone strike kills 14 as Ukraine questions targeting of emergency services
A double drone attack on a major shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih has left at least 14 people dead and 121 injured, prompting President Zelenskyy to demand international accountability from Moscow.
Russian drones struck a busy shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Friday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 121 others, including 22 children. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, confirmed that the strikes targeted the city’s largest shopping complex, sparking a fire. As of 8pm local time, 29 of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on his hometown as “cynical and despicable.” He alleged that a second Russian drone hit the site 30 minutes after the first, in what he described as a deliberate attempt to target emergency services. Zelenskyy characterised the incidents as “terrorist acts” and urged the international community to apply “real pressure” on Russia to ensure accountability.
A separate Russian strike in the Mykolaiv region killed four people, including three children, according to Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi. The attacks come amid a broader intensification of Russian bombardments of Ukrainian cities in recent months. Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city located roughly 60km from the front line, has faced repeated strikes throughout the conflict.
The incident follows a major Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv the previous day, which killed 17 people and injured more than 40. Al Jazeera’s Audrey Macalpine, reporting from Kyiv, noted that while it remains unclear if the shopping centre was the primary target, video footage suggests the attack was deliberate. She added that Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russian infrastructure, including oil facilities and warehouses linked to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Russian attacks in July, marking the highest monthly civilian death toll since May 2022. The 34-member “coalition of the willing” is scheduled to meet on Monday, Ukrainian independence day, to reaffirm support for Kyiv.
