KYIV — At least 14 people were killed and more than 120 others injured Friday after two Russian drones hit a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, the central Ukrainian city, authorities said.
The daylight strike on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s hometown left 22 children among the wounded, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
“There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” Hanzha said.
He also shared an image showing thick black smoke rising from what appeared to be a large industrial building.
Zelenskiy condemned the strike as “absolutely cynical and despicable,” saying a second Russian drone hit the shopping center about 30 minutes after the first, in what he described as a deliberate effort to strike emergency crews responding to the scene.
“Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram, calling on the international community to ensure Russia is held accountable.
The attack comes as Russia intensifies its aerial assault on Ukraine while the war on the battlefield edges toward the 4-1/2 year mark.
On Thursday, a Russian ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, killed 17 people.
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.
