Russian drone attack on busy shopping centre kills 14 in Ukraine

Russian drones have hit a busy shopping centre ⁠in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least ⁠14 individuals and wounding more than 120.

Key points

• The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented that at least 437 civilians were killed and another 2, 610 injured in Russian attacks in July.
• Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, remarked on Telegram that Friday's strikes targeted the city's largest shopping complex, sparking a fire.
• A separate Russian strike in the Mykolaiv region killed four individuals, including three children, the country's Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi stated.
• Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city that lies roughly 60km (37 miles) from the front line, has come under repeated Russian attacks throughout the war.
• Countries allied with Ukraine – the 34-member so-called "coalition of the willing" – will meet to reaffirm backing for Kyiv on Monday, Ukrainian independence day.

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, remarked on Telegram that Friday's strikes targeted the city's largest shopping complex, sparking a fire. The death toll as of 8pm local time (17: 00 GMT) was 14, with 121 injured, including 22 children. Vilkul remarked 29 of those injured were in critical condition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on his hometown as "cynical and despicable".

He remarked a second Russian drone hit the shopping centre 30 minutes after the first, in what he maintained was a ⁠deliberate attempt to target emergency ⁠services.

"Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts, " Zelenskyy remarked on Telegram, urging the world to hold Russia to account.

"The world must respond to them accordingly – with real pressure on the aggressor. For peace to be feasible, Russia must face real accountability, " he went on.

As smoke billowed from the building, videos on social media indicated rescuers rushing to assist the wounded on the street outside.

Meanwhile, a separate Russian strike in the Mykolaiv region killed four individuals, including three children, the country's Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi stated.

Al Jazeera's Audrey Macalpine, reporting from Kyiv, remarked the attack on Kryvyi Rih's second-largest mall had sparked outrage. "Some are calling it a blatant act of terror, saying Ukraine must respond to it accordingly."

Macalpine remarked it was unclear whether the mall was the intended target – as drones are at times intercepted and can fall haphazardly – but that video footage suggested the attack was deliberate.

According to Macalpine, ukraine has been stepping up attacks in recent weeks on Russian warehouses linked to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, drawing Moscow's ire.

Russia has intensified its bombardments of Ukrainian cities in recent months. Ukraine has additionally ‌stepped up its own attacks on Russia, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to try ‌to ‌undermine Moscow's ability to wage war.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented that at least 437 civilians were killed and another 2, 610 injured in Russian attacks in July. That is the highest monthly civilian death toll since May 2022.

Taken together, the developments around russian drone attack on busy shopping centre kills 14 in Ukraine point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.