In Kryvyi Rih — the city where Zelenskyy was born — Russian drones struck a shopping centre on a Friday morning, killing sixteen people and wounding one hundred and thirty more, among them twenty-three children. A second drone followed thirty minutes later, aimed at the rescuers already pulling survivors from the rubble — a detail that strips away any claim of accident or imprecision. As Ukraine's allies prepare to gather in Kyiv on the country's independence day, this strike arrives as both a provocation and a reminder that the war's heaviest burden continues to fall on ordinary people in ord
Russia's shopping centre attack kills 16 in Zelenskyy's hometown; EU vows harshest sanctions
16 people killed in the shopping centre attack, with 130 wounded including 23 children; four more killed in a separate strike in Mykolaiv region.
A second drone hit thirty minutes later, targeting the emergency responders
Mark
Why target a shopping centre specifically? What does Russia gain from killing civilians in a place like that?
Mimi
It's about breaking the will to resist. If people can't feel safe buying groceries or clothes, if they know a second strike will come when rescuers arrive, the psychological weight becomes unbearable. It's not military strategy—it's designed to make life itself feel impossible.
Mark
The second drone hitting thirty minutes later—that seems calculated. Was that definitely intentional?
Mimi
Zelenskyy said it was targeting the responders, and the timing makes that credible. You don't need to be a military analyst to see the pattern: first strike draws help, second strike hits the helpers. It's a tactic designed to compound the damage and the terror.
Mark
Kallas mentioned "depravity." That's strong language from a diplomat. Does that signal something about how seriously Europe is taking this?
Mimi
It signals that the usual diplomatic language isn't cutting it anymore. When the EU's top diplomat uses words like that, it's because the conventional response—statements, mild sanctions—feels inadequate. She's promising the harshest package since the war began, which suggests Europe is moving toward something more severe.
Mark
But will sanctions actually stop the attacks?
Mimi
Probably not immediately. But they're part of the pressure Zelenskyy is asking for. He's not expecting sanctions alone to end the war. He's asking for accountability and real consequences, which is different from hoping sanctions will change Russian behavior overnight.
Mark
Why does it matter that this happened in Zelenskyy's hometown specifically?
Mimi
It's personal and symbolic. It's not just any city—it's his city. It sends a message: nowhere is safe, not even the president's home. And it forces the world to pay attention in a way a strike on a distant region might not.
Il Polso
- A coordinated double strike — the second deliberately targeting emergency responders — signals a calculated escalation designed to maximise civilian terror and deter rescue efforts.
- Sixteen dead, one hundred and thirty wounded including twenty-three children in Kryvyi Rih alone; four more killed the same day in Mykolaiv, three of them children — the human toll is mounting with each bombardment.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it 'terror by design' and announced the harshest sanctions package against Russia since the war began, to be unveiled when EU ministers meet in Ireland next month.
- Zelenskyy, speaking from his own hometown's grief, demanded real accountability for the aggressor and called allies to translate solidarity into concrete pressure — not just condemnation.
- Monday's high-level gathering in Kyiv — co-chaired by Macron, Burnham, and Merz — now carries the weight of this attack, arriving as a stark test of whether allied resolve can match Russian escalation.
In Kryvyi Rih — the city where Zelenskyy was born — Russian drones struck a shopping centre on a Friday morning, killing sixteen people and wounding one hundred and thirty more, among them twenty-three children. A second drone followed thirty minutes later, aimed at the rescuers already pulling survivors from the rubble — a detail that strips away any claim of accident or imprecision. As Ukraine's allies prepare to gather in Kyiv on the country's independence day, this strike arrives as both a provocation and a reminder that the war's heaviest burden continues to fall on ordinary people in ordinary places.
Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih on Friday morning, killing sixteen people and wounding one hundred and thirty others, including twenty-three children. The city holds particular resonance: it is where Volodymyr Zelenskyy was born.
The attack unfolded in two deliberate waves. Roughly thirty minutes after the first drone hit, a second struck the same building — this time, Zelenskyy said, aimed at the emergency responders who had rushed in to help the wounded. Videos showed rescuers moving through smoke-filled streets, pulling people from the debris.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the strike as 'terror by design,' accusing Russia of trying to make Ukrainian cities unliveable. She announced plans for the harshest sanctions package against Russia since the war began, to be presented when EU ministers convene in Ireland next month. The same day, four more people — including three children — were killed in a separate strike in the Mykolaiv region.
Zelenskyy called the attack 'absolutely cynical and despicable' and urged allies to move beyond words toward real pressure on Moscow. He spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, pressing the case for accountability.
The timing sharpens the stakes considerably. On Monday, Ukraine's allies — including French President Macron, UK Prime Minister Burnham, and German Chancellor Merz — are set to gather in Kyiv to mark Ukraine's independence day and reaffirm their support. The Kryvyi Rih strike, arriving just days before that meeting, transforms the gathering from a symbolic gesture into an urgent reckoning.
On Friday morning, Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, the industrial city where Volodymyr Zelenskyy was born. Sixteen people died in the attack. One hundred and thirty others were wounded, among them twenty-three children.
The strike was not random. About thirty minutes after the first drone hit, a second one slammed into the roof of the same building. Zelenskyy later said this second strike was deliberately aimed at the emergency responders who had rushed to help the wounded from the first attack. Videos circulating on social media showed rescuers moving through smoke-filled streets, pulling people from the rubble.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, called the attack "terror by design." She said Russia was trying to make Ukrainian cities unliveable. In a post on social media, she announced that she was preparing the harshest package of sanctions against Russia since the war began, to be presented when EU ministers meet in Ireland next month. "Russia's attack against a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih shows the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow's war," she wrote.
Zelenskyy's own response was sharp and direct. He condemned what he called "an absolutely cynical and despicable strike" carried out against ordinary people shopping in an ordinary place. He called on Ukraine's allies to respond with real pressure on Russia, saying that for peace to be possible, the aggressor must face real accountability. He also spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, updating him on the Russian strikes and their toll on civilians.
The attack on Kryvyi Rih is part of a broader intensification of Russian bombardments across Ukrainian cities in recent months. The same day, four more people were killed in a separate strike in the southern Mykolaiv region, including three children. Kryvyi Rih itself, an industrial city about sixty kilometers from the front line, has been hit repeatedly throughout the war.
The timing of the Kryvyi Rih attack is significant. On Monday, Ukraine's allies are scheduled to meet in Kyiv to reaffirm their support for the country on its independence day. The so-called "coalition of the willing" will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. About ten leaders, including European Council chief António Costa, are expected to attend. Zelenskyy has been urging these allies for additional support as Russia steps up its strikes, particularly ballistic missiles that Ukrainian forces have struggled to intercept. The shopping centre attack, coming just days before this high-level meeting, underscores the urgency of that appeal.
Citazioni salienti
Russia's attack against a shopping centre shows the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow's war— Kaja Kallas, EU foreign policy chief
For peace to be possible, Russia must face real accountability— Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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