At least 16 individuals lost their lives and over 130 sustained injuries in an assault by multiple Russian drones on a shopping complex in central Ukraine, as confirmed by authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the incident as an “act of barbarism” and vowed to retaliate. The attack occurred in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, with regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha revealing that 22 children were among the wounded.

Hanzha disclosed that 29 individuals, including five children, are in critical condition following the daytime strike, which resulted in black smoke emanating from a large industrial structure. In a recent update on Saturday, Hanzha reported that nine people, including two children, were initially unaccounted for, and rescue operations are ongoing to clear the wreckage at the shopping center.

Zelenskyy branded the assault as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” highlighting that a second Russian drone targeted the shopping center 30 minutes after the initial strike, seemingly aiming to impede emergency services. Describing such actions as terrorist acts, Zelenskyy emphasized the necessity for global accountability on Russia and assured a retaliatory response.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, in a statement on X, condemned the shopping center attack as a display of Moscow’s “absolute and utter depravity.” Kallas characterized the assault as a deliberate strategy by Russia to render Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.

Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, expressed dismay over the civilian casualties resulting from the Kryvyi Rih attack and emphasized the imperative to protect civilians under international humanitarian law. Furthermore, Ukrainian state media reported another drone strike in Mykolaiv that claimed the lives of at least four individuals, including three children, and injured a woman.

With the conflict between Russia and Ukraine surpassing four and a half years, Russia has intensified its aerial assaults, while Ukraine has targeted Russian oil installations and logistics infrastructure to disrupt Moscow’s war capabilities. The ongoing conflict stems from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, leading to a prolonged state of all-out war between the two nations.