On 21 August, Russian forces launched two attacks using strike drones on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih. According to Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, six people were killed and a further 91 were injured, including six children. The Russian Federation launched a second strike approximately half an hour after the first, whilst the emergency services were still working at the scene.
Briefly about the main points
- Russian drones attacked the shopping centre in two waves.
- A fire broke out in the buildings after the first strike.
- Among those injured in the attack were six children.
- Medical staff have assessed the condition of the 21 injured as serious.
- Zelenskyy called for increased pressure to be brought to bear on Russia.
Double attack on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih
On Friday, 21 August, Russian forces attacked a large shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih using attack drones. The first reports of the attack’s aftermath emerged in the afternoon.
According to local media reports, strikes on the facility were heard at around 16:20 and 16:50. Following the first strike, a fire broke out inside the shopping centre. The emergency services arrived at the scene and began rescue operations.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has reported that Russian attack drones have struck a facility in two stages. About half an hour after the first strike and the outbreak of the fire, Russia launched a second strike whilst emergency services were already at the scene.
The number of casualties has risen to 91
Information on the casualties was updated several times throughout the evening. Initially, one fatality and 12 injured were reported; subsequently, the number of fatalities and injured began to rise rapidly.
According to the latest figures released by Oleksandr Ganzha, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, Six people were killed and a further 91 were injured. Among those affected are — six children.
21 of the injured are in a serious condition. One child is among those seriously injured.
Rescue workers, paramedics and other emergency services were at the scene of the strike. Shops inside the shopping centre were on fire as a result of the strike.
Zelenskyy described the second attack as a terrorist attack
Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack on a civilian shopping centre as a cynical strike and emphasised that a second attack had taken place after the rescue services had already arrived.
The President stated that Russia’s actions constitute acts of terrorism, and that the international response must involve stepping up real pressure on the aggressor state. He said that, in order to achieve peace, Russia must be held accountable for such attacks.
The double strike on Kryvyi Rih was one of the most devastating Russian attacks on the city in recent times in terms of the number of casualties. The full extent of the damage caused by the attack may still be under assessment, as rescue and medical services continue their work.
