Russia devastates a shopping mall in the Ukrainian President's hometown - 16 deaths

At least 16 civilians were killed and more than 130 injured in a double drone attack by Russian forces on a crowded shopping complex in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Following this tragic incident, which occurred on Friday afternoon, August 21, 2026, serious operations to rescue those trapped in the rubble continued throughout Saturday.

The attack targeted the 'Soniachna Halereia' complex, one of the largest entertainment and shopping centers in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where a large number of civilians were present at the time.

The first drone attack, which occurred around 4:30 PM local time, caused a large fire within the shopping complex that spread rapidly. About 30 minutes later, as police, medical teams, and firefighters gathered to evacuate people and provide first aid, a second low-flying jet-powered 'Shahed' model drone crashed at the same location. Ukrainian authorities describe this 'double-tap' tactic, aimed at targeting rescue workers, as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The death toll rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble, and among the injured were 23 children. The condition of 29 of the injured is serious, including five children, one of whom is a 14-year-old girl with severe head injuries. Additionally, Oleksandr Hansha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, stated that there is still no information about nine individuals, including two children.

The fire was extinguished around 11 PM on Friday, and specialized rescue teams were called from the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kirkov, Poltava, and Donetsk regions to assist local relief teams. Police, firefighters, and psychologists were involved in operations throughout Saturday, and authorities warn that the number of dead and injured could further increase as rubble is cleared.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned the attack as an "extremely vile and barbaric act," stating that it was a direct terrorist attack targeting rescue workers and that Ukraine would respond appropriately. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the regional defense council, called the attackers inhumane, and Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets pointed out that targeting civilian areas during daylight hours is a heinous crime. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it planned terrorism and announced that steps would be taken to impose severe sanctions against Russia.

Kryvyi Rih, located 40-60 kilometers from the front-line combat zone, is frequently subjected to Russian attacks, and this incident was reported a day after an attack on the capital Kyiv killed 16 people. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not made any direct statements regarding this shopping complex attack, and Ukraine continues to launch long-range drone attacks on Russian military and energy facilities in response.