On the night of September 12, 2026, Russian military forces carried out a ballistic strike on the territory of an industrial facility in Kryvyi Rih. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing Dmytro Kvyatkovsky's... — correction: citing Alexander Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, and Alexander Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, one person was killed and two others were injured as a result of the attack. The strike hit the city's industrial zone, which is characteristic of a recent series of attacks on the region's infrastructure.
Timeline of the night attack
The first to report the ongoing threat was Alexander Vilkul, who warned residents about repeated launches: "Until the all-clear — stay alert. More ballistic launches." This message indicated that the danger was not limited to a single salvo and that residents were advised to remain in shelters until the air raid alert was lifted. Shortly thereafter, the consequences became known: a ballistic missile hit an industrial facility, where, according to footage from the scene, smoke was rising and fire-and-rescue units were working.
Contradictory data
There is a notable discrepancy between primary sources in assessing the number of casualties. RBC-Ukraine, relying on official statements by Hanzha and Vilkul, reports one killed and two injured. Meanwhile, the publication glavred.info, in the headline and body of the same story, refers to "killed" (plural) and "more than 20 injured." At the time of publication, no official reconciliation of these figures had been carried out, so the editorial team presents both versions and recommends that readers rely on subsequent clarifications from the regional military administration. It is also worth noting the dating of related events: in the original text, the strike on the shopping center is dated "last month" (August), whereas the available source on the fire at the "Episenter" shopping center is dated July 26, 2026 — the exact placement of this episode in the timeline requires additional verification.
Series of strikes on the city
The night attack of September 12 was a continuation of an entire series of strikes on Kryvyi Rih. Just two days earlier, on September 10, Russia carried out a massive drone attack on the city: fires broke out on the territories of residential buildings, educational institutions, and business facilities, and two people were injured. At the end of summer, a strike was carried out on the city's shopping center, which, according to data at the time, injured more than 50 people and killed five. On August 15, another missile strike was recorded: a fire broke out in the city, power outages were observed, and there were casualties.
Strikes on industrial infrastructure
The choice of target — an industrial facility — fits into a broader context of pressure on Ukraine's industrial and metallurgical potential. Kryvyi Rih has historically been one of the country's key industrial and mining-metallurgical centers, and attacks on production facilities lead to reduced output, downtime, and additional risks for personnel. Experts note that such strikes cause a double blow: direct — through casualties and destruction, and indirect — through reduced production capacity and strain on the power grid. The final figures on losses and the scale of damage to the industrial facility are being clarified as of the time of preparing this material.
