16 Killed in Russian Drone Strike on Kryvyi Rih Shopping Centre, EU Calls Attack ‘Terror by Design’

At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 others injured after Russian drones struck a busy shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, in one of the latest deadly attacks on civilians. The strike on Friday targeted the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and drew strong condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.

The attack caused extensive damage to the shopping complex, with smoke and flames rising from the building as emergency workers rushed to the scene. Videos shared from the area showed rescuers treating wounded people outside the centre while firefighters worked to control the blaze and search the damaged premises for survivors.

Zelenskyy condemned the strike as an “absolute Russian atrocity” and accused Moscow of continuing to deliberately target Ukrainian communities. The Ukrainian president said the international community must not remain silent over attacks that kill civilians and called for stronger measures against Russia. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the strike as “terror by design”, accusing Russia of pursuing a strategy intended to make Ukrainian cities uninhabitable. She said the attack demonstrated what she described as the “absolute and utter depravity” of Moscow’s war.

Kallas also announced plans to push for tougher sanctions against Russia. She said she would put forward the EU’s most far-reaching sanctions listings against Russian targets since the beginning of the war when foreign ministers meet in Ireland next month. Russian forces have intensified their use of drones and missiles against urban areas and critical infrastructure in recent months, increasing pressure on Ukrainian air-defence systems and emergency services.

Kryvyi Rih has repeatedly come under Russian attacks because of its strategic importance as an industrial centre and its association with Zelenskyy, who was born and raised in the city. The latest strike has added to concerns over the vulnerability of civilian areas as the war continues.

In a separate attack in the southern Mykolaiv region, four people, including three children, were also killed, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ivan Vygivsky. The incidents underscored the continuing human cost of the conflict as Russian strikes hit multiple parts of the country. The latest casualties have intensified calls from Ukrainian officials for greater international assistance, particularly additional air-defence systems and tougher economic measures against Moscow.

European officials have repeatedly warned that Russia’s continued attacks on civilian infrastructure threaten to prolong the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The EU has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, targeting individuals, companies and sectors of the Russian economy.