Rescue teams in Ukraine are continuing an exhausting search for survivors in the ruins of a shopping centre devastated by a Russian double‑tap drone strike, as the death toll climbs and families wait anxiously for news. Sixteen people were killed and 130 injured when two drones slammed into the busy centre in Kryvyi Rih on Friday, striking in quick succession the second blast hitting emergency workers already on the scene.
Four people remain missing, and officials warn the search could continue for another two days due to the scale of destruction and the ongoing threat of further attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as “cynical and despicable,” noting that the second drone deliberately targeted rescuers.
Overnight, both sides exchanged fire. Ukrainian strikes reportedly killed at least four people in Russia, including two children, while Kyiv said three people were killed in new Russian attacks.
Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha confirmed the death toll rose to 16 after another body was recovered from the rubble. “We’re doing everything possible to speed up the search and rescue operation,” he told Ukrainian television, adding that the effort remains dangerous and complex.
Rescue teams from seven Ukrainian regions were deployed urgently on Friday evening to help sift through the wreckage. A massive fire spanning 9,000 square metres has now been extinguished, but dozens of victims remain in hospital including 14 children according to Hanzha.
Kryvyi Rih’s military chief Oleksandr Vilkul said many injured people have already undergone surgery and described the attackers as “animals,” noting the drones flew at “extremely low altitudes.” Verified footage shows the second drone slamming into the already burning building in Zelensky’s hometown.
A day of mourning is being observed across the Dnipropetrovsk region. Officials have not yet explained why Ukraine’s air defence which the military says intercepts 90% of drones failed to stop Friday’s strike.
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