RUSSIAN DRONE STRIKE KILLS 14 AT SHOPPING CENTRE IN KRYVYI RIH

Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine on Friday at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time, killing 14 people and injuring more than 100 others, according to official Ukrainian accounts. The attack occurred in two waves, with a second strike taking place roughly 30 minutes after the first, as rescue services were responding to the initial impact. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X that the strike represented "an absolute Russian atrocity", whilst Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih's Defence Council, reported 121 injured individuals, 29 of whom were in serious condition.

Vilkul stated the second strike was carried out by a jet-powered Shahed-type drone flying at extremely low altitude. According to Vilkul, 22 children were among those injured, with five in serious condition. He noted that some people were reported missing and could not be contacted following the strike. Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegram that Russia deliberately targets places where civilians gather, describing the shopping centre as a location where ordinary activity was taking place.

Zelensky called for international support to end the conflict, stating "there must be an end to this Russian war — and we need the world to help us make that happen". The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office confirmed the death toll of 14. Russia also carried out a separate drone attack on a shopping centre in Kramatorsk, resulting in two deaths, according to Ukrainian officials. Kryvyi Rih has experienced multiple Russian attacks since the beginning of the war.