The death toll from the Russian attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, has risen to 16, with 130 injured, including 23 children, according to the latest data from Ukrainian authorities reported by local media.
Oleksandr Hanza, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where the city is located, stated that 29 of the injured are in critical condition, including 5 children.
Hanza added on the Telegram app that initial estimates suggest there are 9 people missing, including 2 children, as rescue teams continue to clear the rubble and search within the shopping center.
Second Strike Targets Site
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that several Russian drones targeted the shopping center on Friday in Kryvyi Rih, his hometown.
He explained that a second drone struck the center about half an hour after the first, just as emergency and rescue teams had arrived to deal with the victims and destruction.
Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of intentionally executing the second strike to target emergency crews.
He stated on Telegram, "Such attacks are nothing but acts of terrorism," urging the international community to hold Russia accountable. The Ukrainian president added, "We will definitely respond."
In a separate attack, official Ukrainian media reported that at least 4 people, including 3 children, were killed in a drone strike targeting the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine.
An additional woman was injured in the attack, though further details about her condition or the scale of damage in the targeted area were not provided.
Ballistic Missiles on Kyiv
Hours after the Kryvyi Rih attack, a series of successive explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as Russia launched ballistic missiles toward the city and surrounding areas.
Local media reported that explosions were heard around 1:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, minutes after an air raid warning was issued.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced the detection of ballistic missiles heading for the capital and urged residents to take cover and remain in shelters.
Authorities did not immediately release confirmed casualty figures or details about the damage from the new attack on Kyiv.
As the war approaches four and a half years, Russia is intensifying its aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine is ramping up its own attacks within Russia, targeting oil facilities and logistical infrastructures in an attempt to undermine Moscow's war capabilities.