Russian drones slammed into a busy shopping centre in eastern Ukraine on Friday, August 21, killing 16 people in an attack condemned as "cynical and despicable" by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attack on Kryvyi Rig, Zelensky's hometown, comes as Russia has intensified its bombardment of Ukrainian cities in recent months.
Four more people, including three minors, were killed in another strike in the southern Mykolaiv region, Interior Minister Ivan Vygivsky said on Telegram.
Videos on social media of the Kryvyi Rig incident showed rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside, as smoke poured out of the building. A second drone smashed into the roof of the building around half an hour after the first – a repeat strike that Zelensky said in a post on X was "targeting the emergency responders".
The Ukrainian emergency services said the attack had wounded 130 people, 23 of them children.
Zelensky in his X post condemned "an absolutely cynical and despicable strike... carried out by the Russians against an ordinary shopping center".
Kryvyi Rig, an industrial city roughly 60 kilometers from the front line, has come under repeated Russian attacks throughout the war.
Coalition of the Willing to meet on Monday
Ukraine's allies are to meet on Monday to reaffirm their support for Kyiv in talks held on the country's independence day. The meeting of the Coalition of the Willing will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron – joining via video link – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Around 10 leaders including European Council chief Antonio Costa will be in Kyiv for the coalition meeting, according to an EU official.
Zelensky urged a strong response from Ukraine's allies. "The world must respond to them accordingly – with real pressure on the aggressor. For peace to be possible, Russia must face real accountability," he said. Zelensky held a call with UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday, updating him on Russian strikes and the civilian casualties they have caused, the Ukrainian leader said on X.