Ukraine shopping centre strike: Search for survivors continues as death toll rises, Zelensky calls attack 'cynical and despicable'

Rescuers in Ukraine continued searching for survivors on Saturday after a major shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih was struck by two Russian drones in quick succession on Friday. Sixteen people were killed and 130 injured in the attack, while four people remained missing. Officials said the search-and-rescue operation could continue for another two days because of the extensive destruction and the continuing threat of further Russian attacks.

The attack has been described as a ‘double-tap strike’, in which a second strike hits an area after emergency responders arrive. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned what he called a ‘cynical and despicable’ attack, saying the second drone targeted emergency workers. Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said the death toll reached 16 after another body was recovered from the rubble overnight.

"We're doing everything possible to speed up... the search and rescue operation," he told Ukrainian TV on Saturday morning.

Hanzha said rescue work could continue for another two days because of the scale of the devastation and the risk of additional Russian attacks. Rescue teams from seven other Ukrainian regions were sent to Kryvyi Rih on Friday evening to assist with the search for survivors. The huge fire, which covered around 9,000 sq m, has now been extinguished.

In a later update on Saturday, Hanzha said 52 injured people, including 14 children, remained in hospitals across the city. Kryvyi Rih's military chief, Oleksandr Vilkul, said dozens of people had already undergone surgery. A day of mourning was being observed across the Dnipropetrovsk region. Dramatic footage verified by the BBC showed the second drone striking the shopping centre while it was already burning. Russia's military has not commented on the attack.

Vilkul said the drones had been flying at "extremely low altitudes" and described the attackers as 'animals'. Ukrainian officials have not explained why air defence systems failed to intercept Friday's drones. Ukraine's military says its overall drone interception rate is about 90%. The country's ability to intercept ballistic missiles is considerably lower, at around 40%, according to figures reported by Ukraine's defence ministry in June. Kyiv has repeatedly warned that it is running short of US-made Patriot missiles, which are considered its most effective defence against ballistic missiles.

Zelensky said missile and drone attacks continued across Ukraine overnight, damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. He said one person was killed and another injured after ballistic missile strikes damaged railway infrastructure in Kyiv. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, three people were injured when a drone struck a city minibus. Ukraine's state emergency service, DSNS, said two people were also killed in a separate Russian attack in the Kyiv region.

Overnight Strikes Across Russia and Ukraine

Russia's defence ministry said it had shot down 457 Ukrainian drones overnight.

In Russia's southern Krasnodar region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said two children were killed and two adults injured in a drone strike on a port town.

In the western Belgorod region, acting Governor Alkesandr Shuvaev said two people were killed and 13 injured in Ukrainian air strikes and shelling.

Ukraine's military said it had also struck an oil refinery in Russia's Samara region overnight, triggering a fire.

Russian online retailer Ozon, the country's second-largest retailer, said one of its warehouses in the region had also been hit. It was reportedly the first time the facility had been targeted.

The incident follows a series of Ukrainian attacks on logistics hubs operated by Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, which is often compared with Amazon.

Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian energy facilities and logistics infrastructure in recent months. Kyiv describes such sites as legitimate targets because they contribute to financing Russia's war effort, while Moscow has accused Ukraine of targeting civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, primarily in the country's south and east.