KYIV — At least 14 people were killed and more than 120 wounded on Friday when two Russian drones struck a shopping center in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, authorities said.
Twenty-two children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s hometown, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on the Telegram messaging app.
“There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” he said.
Firefighters work at the site of a shopping mall hit by Russian drone strikes in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Friday, August 21, 2026. via REUTERS At least 14 people were killed and more than 120 wounded on Friday when two Russian drones struck a shopping center in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, authorities said. via REUTERSHe posted a photo of black smoke billowing from a large industrial building.
Zelenskiy called the attack “absolutely cynical and despicable,” saying that a second Russian drone hit the shopping center half an hour after the first in a deliberate attempt to target emergency services.
“Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram, urging the world to hold Russia to account.
Russia is escalating its air war on Ukraine as fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the 4-1/2 year mark.
Rescuers take part in operations at the site of a shopping mall damaged following a Russian strike in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Friday, August 21, 2026. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/AFP via Getty Images A shopping center hit by a Russian drone attack is seen in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on August 21, 2026. via REUTERSOn Thursday, 17 people were killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Ukraine has also stepped up its own attacks on Russia, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to try to undermine Moscow’s ability to wage war.
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