Rescuers Dig Through Ukraine Mall Wreckage as Zelensky Condemns 'Despicable' Russian Strike
Ukrainian rescuers are still combing through the rubble of a large shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih that was struck by Russian drones on a Friday, in a devastating double‑tap attack.
Sixteen people were killed and about 130 injured when two drones hit the centre in quick succession. Four people are still missing. The search and rescue mission could continue for another two days because of the sheer scale of the damage and the threat of further attacks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the "cynical and despicable" attack, noting that the second drone had struck emergency workers.
Governors and officials report further casualties from the broader overnight exchange of fire, with at least four Russians killed—including two children. In addition, three people in Kyiv died as a result of the Russian strikes.
Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha confirmed the death toll had risen to 16 after another body was retrieved from the wreckage that night.
Speaking on Ukrainian television on Saturday morning, Hanzha said, "We’re doing everything possible to speed up… the search and rescue operation," and that the work could continue for two more days.
Rescue teams from seven other Ukrainian regions were urgently deployed on Friday evening to assist in the search for survivors. The large fire covering some 9,000 square metres has now been extinguished.
Later on Saturday, Hanzha reported that 52 injured people, including 14 children, were still at city hospitals. A number of people had already undergone surgery, according to Kryvyi Rih’s military chief Oleksandr Vilkul.
A day of mourning is being observed across the Dnipropetrovsk region.
BBC footage confirmed the second drone struck the burning shopping centre in Zelensky’s hometown. Vilkul described the drones as flying at "extremely low altitudes" and referred to the attackers as "animals".
Officials have not commented on why Ukraine’s air‑defence units—reported to be 90% successful at intercepting drones—failed to halt Friday’s attacks. Ukraine states its interception rate for ballistic missiles is much lower, at approximately 40%, and it has been running low on US‑made Patriot missiles.
The attack happened just one day after a major Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv that killed 17 people and injured over 40.
