Two strikes on Kryvyi Rih's largest shopping mall: at least 14 dead and over 120 injured, including children

On the day of the attack, August 21, Russian military forces launched a series of strikes using attack drones on Kryvyi Rih, specifically targeting the city's largest shopping center, "Sonyachna Galereya." According to information confirmed by local authorities, the enemy attacked the building twice: first, one drone was used, causing a fire, followed by a second strike from a Shahed-type jet drone about 30 minutes later. At the time of the attacks, a large number of visitors were in the shopping center, which greatly exacerbated the tragedy.

Timeline: from first reports to official confirmations

The first reports of the strike appeared in Telegram channels around 16:35. Just a few minutes later, the attack on the shopping center was confirmed by the head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, Oleksandr Vilkul, who stated that a drone was used and a fire broke out in the building. Independently, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Gancha, also confirmed the attack. Shortly after, Vilkul clarified that the facility was hit again by a Shahed jet drone. Video recordings quickly spread on social media, showing a direct hit on the shopping center and a large crowd of people inside at the moment of the attack.

Scale of the tragedy: casualties and injured

The number of victims grew as data came in from hospitals and the scene of the incident. Initially, authorities reported one dead and 12 injured, then the figures rose to five dead and 52 injured, including six children. As of the evening of August 21, Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Gancha reported 14 dead and 121 injured civilians, including 22 children; 29 people, including five children, were in critical condition. It was also noted separately that a 14-year-old girl with a traumatic brain injury was being transferred to the regional children's hospital, and that there were people missing, unable to make contact. At the scene, police investigative and operational groups, bomb disposal experts, medical personnel, and emergency rescue services were working to clear debris and assist the injured.

Contradictory data

Open sources and statements from officials show discrepancies in the final figures, which is typical for a developing situation. The head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, Oleksandr Vilkul, and several media outlets (including the Azerbaijani publication zerkalo.az) indicated 14 dead and 121 injured. In a later clarification, Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Gancha named 15 dead and 130 injured, including 23 children. The Bulgarian publication fakti.bg, in turn, reported 16 victims. Thus, the final casualty balance at the time of publication remains unconfirmed by a single figure: the range of estimates is from 14 to 16 dead and from 121 to 130 injured. All versions agree on the main point — the mass nature of the victims among the civilian population and the presence of children among the injured.

Reaction of authorities and law enforcement

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported that, under the procedural guidance of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, a criminal case has been opened regarding the commission of a war crime. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets emphasized that Russia deliberately chose the shopping center as a target, meaning that civilian facilities and people are being used by the aggressor as one of the goals of the war against Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike "absolutely cynical and despicable," noting that the drones fired in two waves with a 30-minute interval, and stated that such attacks are terrorism, to which the world must respond with real pressure and Russia's accountability.

Context: series of attacks on Kryvyi Rih

The attack on "Sonyachna Galereya" was a continuation of a series of shelling and strikes on Kryvyi Rih. In particular, on August 16, Russian military forces launched a missile strike on the city, killing a civilian. Repeated targeted strikes on civilian facilities with mass casualties indicate the systematic nature of terror against the city's population and form the basis for international demands to hold Russia accountable for war crimes.