Ukraine says 'cynical' Russian strike on shopping centre killed 16

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In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Military administration, firefighters work on a fire at a shopping mall following a Russian drone attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

Russian drones slammed into a busy shopping centre in eastern Ukraine on Friday (August 22, 2026), killing 16 people in an attack condemned as "cynical and despicable" by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The attack on Kryvyi Rig, Mr. Zelenskyy's hometown, comes as Russia has intensified its bombardments of Ukrainian cities in recent months.

Videos on social media of the Kryvyi Rig incident showed rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside, as smoke poured out of the building.

A second drone smashed into the roof of the building around half an hour after the first — a repeat strike that Mr. Zelenskyy said in a post on X was "targeting the emergency responders".

Ukrainian emergency services initially said the attack had killed 15 people, wounding 130 others, 23 of them children.

In his X post, Mr. Zelenskyy condemned "an absolutely cynical and despicable strike...carried out by the Russians against an ordinary shopping centre".

Kryvyi Rig, an industrial city roughly 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the front line, has come under repeated Russian attacks throughout the war.

The United Nations reported that the civilian death toll in 2026 had risen to its highest level since the first months of the war.

Ukraine's allies are to meet on Monday to reaffirm their support for Kyiv in talks held on the country's independence day.

The meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron – joining via video link – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Around 10 leaders including European Council chief Antonio Costa will be in Kyiv for the coalition meeting, according to an EU official.

"The world must respond to them accordingly — with real pressure on the aggressor. For peace to be possible, Russia must face real accountability," he said.