Russian double-tap drone strike kills at least 15 in Ukrainian mall, officials say
At least 15 people were killed Friday when a Russian drone struck a shopping center in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, and a second drone hit the same site as rescue crews arrived, local officials said.
Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said the death toll included two people who died in hospitals. He said 130 people were wounded, including 23 children, and 29 of the injured were in serious condition. Rescuers from four other regions were being sent to help search the rubble, and officials said some people remained missing.
The shopping center is one of the largest in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a statement, Zelensky called the daytime attack "absolutely cynical and despicable," saying the strike was launched in "two waves" and that the second wave appeared designed to hit emergency workers already at the scene.
Video verified by the BBC showed smoke pouring from the burning mall before a second drone struck the building. Russia's military has not commented on the attack.
Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said the drones were flying at "extremely low altitudes" and described the attackers as "animals." He said some people were unaccounted for and not answering calls.
Friday's attack came a day after a large Russian missile and drone barrage on Kyiv killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 40. Local officials said apartment blocks and warehouses were hit overnight, and a children's hospital and a school were damaged. The two strikes have left Ukraine mourning more than 30 civilians in less than 24 hours.
The double-tap method — a follow-up strike meant to catch first responders, journalists, and bystanders gathered at the original blast site — has been repeatedly documented during Russia's war in Ukraine. Humanitarian groups have said the practice endangers rescue operations and undermines efforts to get aid to survivors.
Earlier Friday, Ukraine's military said it struck an oil refinery and a military airfield deep inside Russia. Ukrainian forces have stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and warehouses in recent months, including facilities linked to online retailer Wildberries, which Kyiv says are legitimate targets because they help fund Russia's war.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and Moscow now controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory in the southeast. The attack underscored the heavy civilian toll as Russia continues its aerial campaign against Ukrainian cities.
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