Attack on Ukraine shopping centre that killed 16 is ‘terror by design’, says EU foreign policy chief
Table of Contents
Ukraine Shopping Centre Attack: EU Says ‘Terror by Design’
Wanderstayfinder.com – The attack on Ukraine shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih killed 16 people and wounded at least 130, including 23 children, when two Russian drones struck the building on Friday. The industrial city sits roughly 60 kilometres from the front line and is also President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s birthplace, lending the strike a personal dimension. A second drone hit the roof about thirty minutes after the first impact, striking while emergency crews were already on scene — a sequence Zelenskyy said was deliberately aimed at responders.
What Happened and Who Was Hit
Initial reports from Dnipropetrovsk regional authorities listed 15 dead and 130 injured. Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the regional military administration, later confirmed via Telegram that the toll had risen to 16. Footage from the scene showed rescuers sprinting toward smoke rising from upper floors. The half-hour gap between impacts meant first responders reached the site before the second wave arrived, compounding an already catastrophic event.
Kryvyi Rih, a steel and mining hub, has endured repeated Russian bombardment throughout the war. The targeted building was an ordinary family destination — groceries, clothing, daily errands — which made the choice of target look deliberate to Kyiv and its Western partners.
Zelenskyy’s Response and Diplomatic Calls
On X, Zelenskyy called the strike “an absolutely cynical and despicable strike … carried out by the Russians against an ordinary shopping centre,” singling out the second drone as “targeting the emergency responders.” He also phoned UN Secretary-General António Guterres to brief him on the latest wave of strikes and their civilian toll.
“The world must respond to them accordingly – with real pressure on the aggressor. For peace to be possible, Russia must face real accountability.”
Kallas Announces Hardest Sanctions Package Yet
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, labelled the Kryvyi Rih strike “terror by design” on X, writing that it “shows the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow’s war” and that the Kremlin “wants to make Ukrainian cities unliveable.” She announced she would table “the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when EU foreign ministers convene in Ireland next month — hours after the drones fell.
Second Strike in Mykolaiv Region
Four more people, three of them children, were killed in a separate Russian strike on southern Mykolaiv region, Interior Minister Ivan Vygivsky confirmed on Telegram. The near-simultaneous hits in two oblasts underscore the coordinated bombardment pattern Ukrainian air-defence commanders describe as increasingly difficult to counter, particularly when salvos of ballistic missiles arrive in rapid succession.
Independence-Day Summit in Kyiv
The strikes landed on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, when the “coalition of the willing” was set to convene in Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were to co-chair the session; roughly ten heads of state, including European Council President António Costa, were expected to attend. The convergence of a mass-casualty civilian strike followed within days by a summit of allied leaders placed escalation and deterrence squarely on the agenda.
FAQ
How many people died in the Kryvyi Rih shopping centre strike? 16 people were killed and at least 130 were wounded, including 23 children, according to Dnipropetrovsk regional authorities.
What did the EU announce in response to the attack? Kaja Kallas said she would table the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the war began when EU foreign ministers meet in Ireland next month.
When did the second drone hit the building? Approximately thirty minutes after the first impact, while emergency responders were already working the scene.
Were there other strikes on the same day? Yes. Four additional people, three of them children, were killed in a separate Russian strike on southern Mykolaiv region.
