Russian 'double-tap' strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 15 and wounds 130

On Friday, a Russian drone attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, resulted in at least 15 deaths and over 130 injuries, according to authorities. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha revealed that 22 of the wounded were children and reported that 29 individuals were in serious condition, including five youngsters. Hanzha shared a photo showing thick smoke emanating from a large industrial building.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack, describing it as "cynical and despicable," and stated that a second Russian drone targeted the shopping center just half an hour later, aiming to strike emergency services. In a follow-up statement on Telegram, Zelenskiy called the incident a "terrorist act" and pledged a retaliatory response.

Meanwhile, another drone strike in Mykolaiv, Ukraine's southern region, claimed the lives of four people, including three children, and left a woman wounded, as reported by Ukrainian state media on Telegram.

The escalating air war between Russia and Ukraine has persisted for nearly four-and-a-half years. On Thursday, a Russian ballistic missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, resulted in 17 fatalities. In response to the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia, targeting vital infrastructure such as oil facilities and logistics networks to weaken Moscow's war efforts.