At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded in the Kryvyi Rih strike
Zelensky said a second Russian drone hit the shopping centre about 30 minutes after the first
The alleged second strike came as emergency workers were responding to the initial attack
At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded after Russian drones struck a shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, describing the attack as a deliberate "double-tap" strike.
In posts on X, Zelensky said a second Russian drone hit the site about half an hour after the first attack, when emergency workers were already responding. He called the attack an "act of barbarism" and said it was intended to target rescuers.
Children Among Wounded
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said 22 children were among those wounded, with 29 people in serious condition, including five children.
The governor later said nine people, including two children, were preliminarily considered missing as rescuers continued clearing rubble from the damaged shopping centre.
Zelensky said emergency services were continuing rescue and recovery operations at the site, while Ukrainian authorities worked to account for those still missing.
‘Double-Tap’ Attack
Zelensky described the second strike as a deliberate attempt to hit emergency personnel responding to the first attack.
"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," he said, vowing that Ukraine would respond.
The strike hit Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, during the daytime. Images released after the attack showed extensive damage and black smoke rising from the shopping centre and surrounding structures.
Wider Russian Strikes
The attack came a day after a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv killed 17 people. Russia has intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine as the war approaches its fourth-and-a-half year mark, while Ukraine has also stepped up drone attacks against Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure.
The Kryvyi Rih strike has drawn particular attention because of the allegation that the second drone arrived after the first attack and targeted the emergency response itself — a claim made by Zelensky that has not been independently verified.
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