Russian Strikes in Ukraine Mall Kill 16, Injure 130

Rescuers in Ukraine are continuing their search for survivors in the wreckage of a big shopping center hit by Russia on Friday.

Sixteen people were killed and 130 injured when two drones struck the busy center in Kryvyi Rih in quick succession, known as a double-tap strike. Four people remain missing. The search and rescue operation could last for another two days.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the “cynical and despicable” attack, emphasizing that the second drone targeted emergency workers at the scene.

The night also saw an escalation in hostilities, with Ukrainian attacks reportedly resulting in at least four fatalities in Russia, including two children. Additionally, three individuals died from Russian strikes in Ukraine.

The death toll from Friday’s drone strike increased to 16 after another body was recovered from the rubble, according to Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha. “We are doing everything possible to speed up… the search and rescue operation,” he stated during an appearance on Ukrainian TV on Saturday morning.

Hanzha indicated that the search efforts could extend for two more days due to the severe destruction and the ongoing threats of further Russian attacks.

Rescue teams from seven neighboring Ukrainian regions were deployed on Friday night to assist in the efforts. The vast area engulfed in flames, spanning approximately 9,000 square meters, has since been extinguished.

In an update shared later on Saturday, Hanzha reported that 52 injured individuals, including 14 children, remained hospitalized. Many of the wounded have undergone surgery, as indicated by Kryvyi Rih’s military chief, Oleksandr Vilkul.

A day of mourning has been declared across the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Dramatic footage confirmed by various sources depicted the second drone strike impacting the already burning shopping center in Zelensky’s hometown. Notably, Russia’s military has not commented on the incident.

Vilkul noted that the drones operated at “extremely low altitudes” during the assault, describing the drone operators as “animals.” Officials, however, have yet to address why Ukraine’s air defense units, purportedly 90% effective at intercepting drones, failed to prevent the attacks on the shopping center.

Kyiv’s interception success rate for ballistic missiles is significantly lower, reported at around 40% as of June. Ukraine has consistently stated that it is running low on U.S.-made Patriot missiles, crucially effective against such threats.

This drone strike in Kryvyi Rih followed a day after a major missile and drone attack on the nation’s capital, Kyiv, which resulted in 17 fatalities and over 40 injuries.

Zelensky remarked that missile and drone strikes had persisted throughout the night across various parts of Ukraine, damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.

One person’s life was claimed, and another was injured due to ballistic missile strikes that damaged railway infrastructure in Kyiv. Simultaneously, three individuals were hurt in a “brutal” drone attack targeting a minibus in southern Zaporizhzhia.

Separately, two individuals were killed in a Russian assault within the Kyiv region, according to Ukraine’s state emergencies service.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have intercepted a total of 457 Ukrainian drones overnight.

In a separate incident, a drone strike on a port town in Russia’s Krasnodar region led to the death of two children and injuries to two adults, as reported by Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.

In the Belgorod region, two fatalities and 13 injuries were attributed to Ukrainian airstrikes and shelling, noted acting Governor Aleksandr Shuvaev.

Ukraine’s military asserted involvement in a strike against an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, which ignited a fire in the area.

Russian online retailer Ozon, the country’s second-largest, reported that one of its warehouses in the region was also impacted for the first time.

These actions come on the heels of intensified Ukrainian strikes on logistics centers belonging to Wildberries, often referred to as Russia’s Amazon, which serve as funding sources for Russia’s war efforts.

Kyiv has tagged these targets as legitimate, while Russia asserts that civilians are being harmed.

President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently, Moscow manages control over approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory in the southeast.

As citizens in Moscow faced extended waits for fuel, the government prepares to mark Russian Flag Day.

The previous night, a massive attack on Ukraine’s capital left at least 17 dead, as warned by mayor Vitali Klitschko, with hot water supplies disrupted in the aftermath.

Of note, men born in Ukraine serving in Russian forces are facing treason trials; however, many individuals at a prisoner of war camp in western Ukraine believe they were defending their homeland.

Since February 2022, martial law has been enforced in Ukraine, halting elections within the country.