Russian strike on Ukraine kills at least 2, a day after deadly mall attack

Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Overnight in Ukraine, at least two individuals lost their lives due to Russian drone and missile strikes, according to authorities. This incident follows a day after a devastating attack on a shopping center that claimed the lives of 16 people.

Oleksandr Pertsovsky, head of Ukraine’s national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia, reported that one of their employees was killed in a ballistic missile attack on a railway in Kyiv’s capital. In response, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed they had targeted a locomotive depot.

Russia has intensified its missile attacks on Kyiv, capitalizing on Ukraine’s limited supply of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the only defense capable of neutralizing the missiles.

Additionally, Russian drone strikes also resulted in the death of a person in Zaporizhzhia, local officials stated. This comes a day after Russian drones targeted a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine. Oleksandr Hanzha, Dnipropetrovsk regional head, disclosed that the death toll had reached 16, with nine more people still missing. The victims included 130 who sustained injuries.

Kryvyi Rih, the birthplace of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, experienced the attack as a "double-tap" strike. Initial drones hit the area, followed by a second wave once rescue workers arrived. Kryvyi Rih has endured multiple assaults throughout the ongoing conflict, including one in April 2025 that killed 20 people, including nine children.

Russia’s large-scale strikes have become commonplace this summer. Friday’s attacks transpired just 24 hours after Russia launched a nighttime assault on Kyiv using scores of missiles and drones, resulting in 16 deaths. The capital city has suffered numerous strikes in recent weeks: 17 were killed in an attack two weeks ago, and nine died in another assault two days prior. The United Nations reported last week that Kyiv was among the most severely impacted cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has escalated the war onto Russian territory through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities, causing fuel shortages across the country. These actions have also unsettled the Russian public, as they targeted warehouses of Wildberries, the nation’s largest online retailer.