A deliberate double-tap drone strike by Russian forces has struck a crowded shopping center in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, leaving at least 15 people dead and more than 130 others wounded. Local authorities confirmed the casualties following the daytime bombardment, which targeted the largest retail facility in the municipality, situated within the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Regional officials stated that the assault involved two sequential waves, with the second unmanned aircraft deliberately hitting the smoldering ruins while emergency personnel and civilians were actively attempting to rescue trapped victims. The sequence of impacts has intensified concerns that the final death toll will continue to climb, as search and rescue operations persist under dangerous conditions.

Among the injured are at least 23 children, according to regional leadership figures who noted that dozens of victims remain in serious condition. Emergency response units from four neighboring regions have been mobilized to bolster local rescue teams, while specialized psychological support units have been dispatched to assist traumatized survivors and grieving families.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault on his home town as a calculated and despicable act of violence. Local municipal leaders reported that the incoming aerial munitions flew at unusually low altitudes to evade detection, while noting that numerous individuals remain unaccounted for as phone calls to missing residents go unanswered.

The tragedy in Kryvyi Rih coincides with a broader escalation of aerial attacks across multiple regions of Ukraine. Separate strikes in the southern Mykolaiv region resulted in four fatalities, including three minors, while additional casualties were reported in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and the city of Zaporizhzhia.

These incidents follow a massive barrage of missiles and drones that struck Ukraine's capital city Kyiv just a day prior, damaging residential apartment blocks, educational facilities, and a children's hospital. In response to the ongoing campaign of aerial bombardment, Ukrainian military forces have continued long-range operations targeting strategic infrastructure inside Russia, including military airfields and fuel refineries.

Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.