The attack unfolded in two stages, according to reports. An initial strike sparked a fire at the mall, and a second wave of drones hit roughly 30 minutes later as emergency crews were responding. Local officials said the second strike involved a jet-powered Shahed drone flying at extremely low altitude.
Emergency services later confirmed 16 deaths, though the toll shifted throughout the day as rescue efforts continued. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, initially reported two dead and 52 wounded, including six children, warning on Telegram that casualties could still climb.
Zelenskyy, a native of Kryvyi Rih, denounced the strike as "a completely cynical and vile attack on an ordinary shopping mall", saying the follow-up strike had been "aimed at rescue services".
"Such attacks are simply acts of terror", he said, calling for the international community to impose real pressure on Russia. "For peace to be possible, Russia must bear real responsibility".
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the strike on Zelenskyy's home town as "terror by design", writing on X that it showed "the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow's war" and accusing Russia of wanting to make Ukrainian cities "unlivable".
Kallas said she would present the bloc's most far-reaching sanctions package against Russia since the start of the war when foreign ministers meet in Ireland next month.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio, PAP