Six Killed, About 90 Wounded in Russian Drone Strike on Ukrainian Shopping Mall

At least six people were killed and roughly 90 wounded on Friday after Russian drones struck a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine, local officials reported. The daytime attack hit President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown.

Regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on Telegram that six children were among the wounded, and that 21 people, including one child, were in serious condition. He shared a photo showing black smoke rising from a large industrial building.

Zelensky described the strike as "absolutely cynical and despicable," noting that a second drone hit the mall about half an hour after the first — an apparent deliberate attempt to target emergency responders arriving at the scene. He said such attacks amount to acts of terrorism and called on the international community to hold Russia accountable.

Escalating aerial campaign

The strike comes as Russia intensifies its air campaign against Ukraine, with front-line fighting approaching the 4.5-year mark. A day earlier, a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv killed 17 people.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has increased its own strikes on Russian territory, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure in an effort to weaken Moscow's capacity to sustain the war.