KYIV, Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to respond after a Russian drone strike hit a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, killing at least 16 people and injuring about 130 others as emergency crews searched the rubble for survivors.
The attack struck Zelensky’s hometown as Russia continued its heavy air campaign across Ukraine. Officials said the drones hit the shopping center in two waves, with the second strike coming about 30 minutes after the first attack and targeting emergency responders who had arrived at the scene.
Zelensky condemned the attack as “cowardly” and said Ukraine would respond. Footage verified and geolocated by international media showed a drone hitting the shopping center while smoke from the earlier strike was still visible.
Zelensky vows response to Russia’s ‘terrorist attack’ as strike on Ukrainian mall kills 16https://t.co/B2kWrTYRGk pic.twitter.com/CUKWJEwc9d
— The Independent (@Independent) August 22, 2026
The attack caused a large fire inside the building, with shops and other areas of the shopping center damaged. Authorities said the fire spread across about 9,000 square meters before firefighters brought it under control.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s city defense council, said at least 29 of the injured people were in serious condition. Several children were among those wounded, including a 14 year old girl who suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Vilkul urged residents to take air-raid warnings seriously and immediately move to shelters. He said warning lasted about 20 minutes before the explosion, but many people remained inside the shopping center because stores were still open.
Rescue teams from seven other Ukrainian regions were sent to Kryvyi Rih to help search for survivors. A day of mourning was declared across the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia has also carried out attacks in several other Ukrainian regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Odesa. Ukrainian officials reported additional deaths from those attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has increased strikes on Russian territory. Ukrainian forces said they hit an oil refinery and an Ozon logistics facility in Russia’s Samara region. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had intercepted 457 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The Kremlin has not directly commented on the Kryvyi Rih shopping center strike. Ukrainian officials continue to call for more air defense systems and Patriot missile interceptors from Western allies, saying the country needs stronger defenses against Russian ballistic missiles.
