Ukraine says 'cynical' Russian strike on shopping centre killed 16
A Russian drone strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine, has resulted in 16 deaths and over 100 injuries, with a second strike targeting emergency responders. President Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a cynical act of violence as international leaders prepare to meet to reaffirm support for Kyiv.
Why it matters
The targeting of civilian infrastructure and emergency personnel marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, drawing renewed international condemnation.
Russian drones slammed into a busy shopping centre in eastern Ukraine on Friday (August 22, 2026), killing 16 people in an attack condemned as "cynical and despicable" by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The attack on Kryvyi Rig, Mr. Zelenskyy's hometown, comes as Russia has intensified its bombardments of Ukrainian cities in recent months.
Four more people, including three minors, were killed in another strike in the southern Mykolaiv region, Interior Minister Ivan Vygivsky said on Telegram.
Videos on social media of the Kryvyi Rig incident showed rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside, as smoke poured out of the building.
A second drone smashed into the roof of the building around half an hour after the first — a repeat strike that Mr. Zelenskyy said in a post on X was "targeting the emergency responders".
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