Russia's double drone strike on Kryvyi Rih shopping mall kills 15, injures 130

Russian forces carried out a so-called double-tap strike on Kryvyi Rih's largest shopping centre on 21 August, hitting the building with drones twice within a short period. By late evening, the confirmed death toll had risen to 15, with 130 people injured, including 23 children, according to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office.

Officials said 29 of the injured were in serious condition, including five children. The casualty figures climbed steadily throughout the day as rescue and medical teams assessed the damage — initial reports in the afternoon cited five dead and 91 injured, with the numbers revised upward several times as the situation became clearer.

How the attack unfolded

Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, first reported that a Russian strike had damaged the shopping centre and sparked a fire. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, said the city's largest mall had been hit by a strike drone, with many people injured at the scene.

A second strike on the same building followed. Vilkul said the repeat attack was carried out by a jet-powered Shahed-type drone flying at extremely low altitude, and warned that further strikes could not be ruled out.

Emergency response

A search and rescue operation was launched after the strikes, as fire broke out inside the mall. Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General confirmed the double-tap strike occurred around 16:30 local time. Emergency services, police and rescuers continued working at the scene as casualty figures were updated through the evening.