--- title: "Strike on Kropyvnytskyi's largest shopping center: fire, dozens injured, and conflicting reports on casualties" description: "Russian occupiers struck the largest shopping complex in Kropyvnytskyi with an attack UAV. According to the RMA, there are casualties and dozens of injured, including children; separate publications cite a higher casualty toll." date: 2026-08-21T13:56:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/krivoy-rog-strike-on-shopping-center-en tags: [krivoy-rog, drone-attack, shopping-mall, russia-ukraine, emergency-response] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Strike on Kropyvnytskyi's largest shopping center: fire, dozens injured, and conflicting reports on casualties ![Emergency services at the scene of the attack on a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih: ambulances, fire trucks, and military personnel](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/krivoy-rog-udar-po-torgovomu-kompleksu/krivoy-rog-udar-po-torgovomu-kompleksu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - A Russian attack UAV hit the largest shopping complex in Kropyvnytskyi, causing a fire. - According to the RMA, the number of injured has risen to 50, including six children; the number of killed is between 1 and 2 according to official reports. - Focus.ua reports six killed, which contradicts the RMA version. - A repeat attack by a Shahed cruise missile at low altitude has been recorded. - The strike occurred against the backdrop of a series of attacks: earlier, industrial facilities in Kropyvnytskyi were hit, and on the night of August 20, Kyiv was struck. On Friday, August 21, Russian occupiers struck the largest shopping complex in Kropyvnytskyi with an attack drone. This was reported by the head of the city's Defense Council, Alexander Vilkul, and the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration (RMA), Alexander Hancha. According to Vilkul, "beasts attacked the city's largest shopping complex with an attack UAV," a fire broke out at the scene, and numerous casualties were visually confirmed. Hancha confirmed that the shopping center was "mutilated" and a fire occurred. Footage from the scene shows emergency vehicles arriving at the call — ambulances and fire crews, as well as a soldier in tactical gear, which corresponds to an ongoing rescue operation. ### Rescue operation progress Immediately after the drone hit, a rescue operation was launched at the site of the shelling. According to Hancha's assessment, the fire covered a significant part of the building, complicating the work of rescuers and requiring the involvement of additional forces. Vilkul additionally warned of a repeat attack on the shopping complex by a Shahed cruise missile and noted that enemy drones were flying at very low altitudes, making interception difficult. The head of the Defense Council also warned of possible new strikes by Russian occupiers on the city, urging residents to observe safety measures. ### Conflicting data The number of casualties from the attack in statements by officials changed throughout the day, and some media outlets report significantly different figures. First, Hancha reported one killed and 12 injured; then the number of killed was updated to two, and the injured to 15. Later, the head of the RMA stated that the number of injured rose to 50, including six children. At the same time, the Focus.ua publication in the headline of the material indicates the death of six people as a result of the attack on the shopping center in Kropyvnytskyi. Thus, the version of two killed (according to the RMA) differs from the version of six killed (according to Focus.ua), and the final balance of injured also remains subject to clarification. The editorial office records both points of view and recommends relying on subsequent official reports. ### Context: series of attacks on Kropyvnytskyi and Kyiv The attack on the shopping complex was a continuation of a series of strikes on the city. Recently, the aggressor state struck industrial facilities in Kropyvnytskyi, resulting in one death and six injuries. Against this backdrop, on the night of August 20, Russia launched a massive combined strike on Kyiv and the Kyiv region: the air raid in the capital lasted about nine hours. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that as a result of the night attack, 30 residential buildings, as well as a school, hospital, and kindergarten, were damaged, and that 15 people are known to have been killed in Kyiv. The head of state called this Russian attack one of the "most cynical, calculated, and large-scale." ### Operational situation As of the evening of August 21, the emergency services in Kropyvnytskyi continue to operate: debris removal, extinguishing fire spots, and providing assistance to the injured continue. Officials do not rule out new strikes on the city's infrastructure, including trade and energy facilities. The exact result of human losses from the attack on the shopping complex will be clarified as rescue operations are completed and the injured are interviewed; at present, the editorial office has access to both RMA data (two killed, up to 50 injured, including children) and a higher estimate of the number of killed provided by certain media outlets. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Russia struck the largest shopping center in Kropyvnytskyi with a drone, many injured](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rf-vdarila-dronom-naybilshomu-tts-krivogo-1787320206.html) - Подтверждает удар ударным БПЛА по крупнейшему ТЦ, пожар, много пострадавших, цитаты Вилкула и Ганжи, повторную атаку «Шахедом» на низкой высоте. - [Double strike on rescuers: six people killed in Kropyvnytskyi, what are the consequences of the attack on the shopping center...](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/765339-vzryv-v-krivom-roge-unes-zhizni-shesteryh-ukraincev-foto) - Указывает на гибель шести человек и «двойной удар», что расходится с официальной версией ОВА о двух погибших; источник противоречивых данных. - [Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia and Kropyvnytskyi: houses and shopping centers damaged, details](https://glavred.info/ukraine/rf-atakovala-zaporozhe-i-krivoy-rog-povrezhdeny-doma-i-tc-detali-10783676.html) - Подтверждает атаку на Кривой Рог с повреждением ТЦ в более широком контексте ударов по региону. - [Truck burned to the ground: Russians struck the Kropyvnytskyi-Dnipro highway, there is a killed, — RMA...](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/761037-udar-dronov-rf-pod-krivym-rogom-est-pogibshiy-v-rezultate-popadaniya-shaheda) - Указывает на гибель шести человек и «двойной удар», что расходится с официальной версией ОВА о двух погибших; источник противоречивых данных. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What happened in Kropyvnytskyi on August 21? **A:** Russian occupiers struck the city's largest shopping complex with an attack UAV, a fire broke out, and there are casualties; later, a repeat attack by a Shahed cruise missile was recorded. ### Q: How many people were injured and killed? **A:** According to the Dnipropetrovsk RMA, the number of killed was updated from one to two, and the injured to 50, including six children. However, Focus.ua reports six killed, so the final balance remains contradictory and is being clarified. ### Q: What other objects were attacked during this period? **A:** Recently, industrial facilities in Kropyvnytskyi were hit (one killed, six injured), and on the night of August 20, Russia launched a massive combined strike on Kyiv and the region, where, according to the president, 30 residential buildings, a school, a hospital, and a kindergarten were damaged.