Rescuers battle rubble after Russian drones strike Kryvyi Rih mall

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:14:21 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Ukrainian rescue teams dig through the ruins of a Kryvyi Rih shopping center hit by Russian drones – 16 dead, 130 injured – as Zelensky condemns the attack.

Russian drones struck a busy shopping center in Kryvyi Rih on Friday, killing 16 people and injuring 130. Rescue teams are still combing the wreckage, with the operation expected to last another couple of days. President Zelensky denounced the strike as “cynical and despicable”, while officials report ongoing threats of further attacks. The incident follows a string of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defence systems.

Rescuers battle rubble after Russian drones strike Kryvyi Rih mall

Ukrainian emergency crews are still working through the twisted wreckage of a large shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih that was hit by two consecutive Russian drones on Friday afternoon. Sixteen people were killed and 130 injured, and four remain missing.

Smoke rises from a shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih after a Russian drone attack — Smoke rises from the shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih after the drone attack, photo: 21 August 2026.

The raid was a classic double‑tap strike, with the second drone striking the building minutes after the first, targeting emergency workers trying to arrive. "The drones were flying at extremely low altitudes and acted like animals," said military chief Oleksandr Vilkul.

Regional authorities say the search and rescue operation could last for another two days because of the size of the destruction and the continuing threat of further attacks. "We are doing everything possible to speed up the rescue operation," regional head Oleksandr Hanzha told Ukrainian TV on Saturday morning.

Although the fire occupying roughly 9,000 square metres has been extinguished, 52 injured people – including 14 children – remain in city hospitals. A day of mourning is being observed across the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The strike followed a broader pattern of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine this week, including an assault on the capital Kyiv that killed 17 people and wounded more than 40. In the south, Ukrainian forces appear on the rise, striking Russian logistics hubs and energy facilities.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as "cynical and despicable" and called it part of the wider war in Ukraine. He added that missiles and drones had struck residential buildings and damaged civilian infrastructure across the country.

Russian defence officials released no comment on this particular incident, though they reported downing 457 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Ukrainian military cited a 90 per cent interception rate for their air defence.

For a full timeline of the Wednesday‑Friday attacks and a deeper look at the impact on Ukraine’s civilian population, see the reports linked in the article’s resources.