Fifteen Dead as Russian Drones Strike Shopping Centre in Zelensky's Hometown

At least 15 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when two Russian drones struck a shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned as a "cynical and despicable" attack deliberately timed to target emergency responders.

Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the president's hometown. He reported that 29 people remained in serious condition, including five children, and shared a photograph of thick black smoke billowing from the large industrial building that housed the shopping centre.

Zelensky said a second Russian drone had hit the mall half an hour after the first, in what he described as a deliberate "double-tap" strike intended to kill and wound rescue workers who had arrived on the scene. "Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts," he said on Telegram, urging the international community to hold Russia to account for its actions.

The assault on Kryvyi Rih came a day after 17 people were killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, underscoring Moscow's escalating air war against Ukrainian cities. The Kremlin's brutal campaign has increasingly relied on long-range strikes against civilian infrastructure, with shopping centres, residential buildings and energy facilities all frequent targets of Russian aggression.

Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has now entered its fourth year, with Moscow's forces pressing their offensive in the Donbas while simultaneously intensifying their aerial bombardment of population centres far from the front lines. The Ukrainian people, who have endured Russia's brutal campaign with remarkable resilience, continue to face daily attacks on their cities and communities.

Ukraine has also stepped up its own attacks on Russian territory, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to undermine Moscow's ability to wage war, including the recent drone strikes on Ozon warehouses across southern Russia. However, the disparity in the nature of the attacks is stark: while Ukraine targets military-industrial and logistics facilities, Russia continues to strike shopping malls, hospitals and residential areas.

The World House, which has consistently stood with Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, documents the human cost of Russia's aggression and reaffirms its solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Details of the publication's support initiatives can be found at worldhouse.uk/support. As the conflict grinds toward the 4.5-year mark, the international community faces renewed pressure to address Russia's systematic targeting of civilians, a pattern of behaviour that bears all the hallmarks of state terrorism.