Russian strikes on Ukraine kill two, officials say, a day after deadly attack on mall

In Ukraine, Russian strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals, while a further nine people are currently unaccounted for, one day after a devastating double-tap attack on a shopping center that claimed the lives of 16 people. Local authorities reported one fatality from a warehouse fire in Kyiv, following an alert for a ballistic missile, while another individual lost their life in a drone strike in Zaporizhzhia early Saturday morning.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed it carried out extensive strikes targeting transportation infrastructure and warehouses.

These strikes come in the wake of a brutal Russian double-tap drone attack on a crowded mall in Kryvyi Rih on Friday, which President Volodymyr Zelensky described as "absolutely cynical and despicable." Prior to this incident, on Friday, Hanzha reported that out of the 130 injured people, 29 were in critical condition. Concerns are mounting as the death toll may continue to rise.

Rescue teams from four other Ukrainian regions have been dispatched to assist in the search for survivors. Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul criticized the Russian drones for flying at "extremely low altitudes," calling the attackers "animals." He also mentioned that there are people unresponsive to calls for help.

Kyiv's military administration confirmed a warehouse fire in the Darnytskyi district of the capital early Saturday morning, resulting in one death and several injuries. Meanwhile, four lives were lost in separate Russian attacks in Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region on Friday, and another two in the northeastern Kharkiv region. On Thursday, a major Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv resulted in 17 deaths and over 40 injuries.

Earlier on Friday, Ukraine's military conducted strikes on an oil refinery and a military airfield inside Russia.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian energy facilities and the warehouses of the country's largest online retailer, Wildberries. Ukraine argues that these targets are legitimate due to their role in financing Russia's ongoing war. Since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has gained control over approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory in the southeastern region.