Russian drone strike on Ukraine shopping centre kills 16

Russian drones struck a busy shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the home town of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack killed 16 people and wounded more than 130, including 23 children. Zelenskyy described the strike as a cynical and despicable act against an ordinary shopping centre.

Social media videos showed rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside as smoke poured from the building. About half an hour after the first drone hit, a second one struck the building's roof — Zelenskyy said this repeat strike appeared aimed at emergency responders. The death toll rose to 16, according to Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, after officials initially reported 15 dead.

In a separate strike in the southern Mykolaiv region, four more people, including three children, were killed, Ukraine's interior minister, Ivan Vygivsky, said.

International reaction

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called the attack "terror by design" and said she would propose the most far-reaching Russia sanctions since the war began when ministers meet in Ireland next month. She said Moscow was seeking to make Ukrainian cities unliveable.

Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city about 60km from the front line, has repeatedly come under Russian attack throughout the war.

On Monday, Ukraine's allies are due to meet to reaffirm support for Kyiv during talks marking the country's independence day. The so-called "coalition of the willing" meeting will be co-chaired by France's president, Emmanuel Macron, the UK's prime minister, Andy Burnham, and Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, with around 10 leaders, including European Council chief António Costa, expected in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy called for a strong response and real accountability for Russia, and spoke by phone with UN secretary-general António Guterres about the strikes and civilian casualties. Kyiv has repeatedly urged allies for more support as Russia intensifies strikes, with Ukrainian forces struggling to intercept barrages of ballistic missiles.