Key facts
- A Russian drone strike on a Kryvyi Rih shopping center on Aug. 21, 2026, killed at least 16 people and injured 130.
- The attack involved two waves of strikes, with the second occurring as rescue services responded.
- The director of a supermarket within the complex is being investigated for negligence for allegedly keeping it open during an air raid alert.
- Investigators are examining emergency response, potential blocked shelter doors, and the actions of other high-level employees.
- The strike occurred during daylight hours, with civilians present for shopping and other activities.
Russian forces launched a daytime drone strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih on August 21, 2026, killing at least 16 people and injuring 130, including 23 children. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as "absolutely cynical and vile," noting that the drones struck in two waves, with the second occurring about 30 minutes after the first, when rescue services were already present. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih's Defense Council, stated the second strike involved a jet-powered Shahed-type drone and that drones were flying at extremely low altitudes. The Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration reported the death toll reached 16, with 130 injured, 29 seriously, including five children. Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets asserted that Russia deliberately targets civilian gathering places. Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi stated that police and emergency services began evacuation and aid efforts following the attack, which engulfed a third of the center's area and was hampered by the threat of further strikes. Criminal proceedings have been opened against the director of a supermarket within the complex for alleged negligence, as the business reportedly remained open during an air raid alert. Investigators are examining the adequacy of emergency response, potential blocked shelter doors, and the actions of other high-level employees from the shopping center's owner and tenant businesses.