Russian ’double-tap’ strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 16 and wounds 130

On August 21, a Russian drone strike at a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, resulted in 16 deaths and over 130 injuries, according to authorities. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha revealed that 22 children were among the wounded. The attack came shortly after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy labeled the incident as an act of barbarism and vowed a response, stating that the second drone hit the shopping center half an hour after the first in a deliberate attempt to target emergency services.

Zelenskiy further described the attack as "absolutely cynical and despicable," urging the international community to hold Russia accountable.

Another drone strike occurred in the southern region of Mykolaiv on the same day, killing four people, including three children, and wounding a woman. As Russia escalates its air war on Ukraine, Ukraine has been retaliating by targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure to weaken Russia's war efforts.