At least 14 dead in Russian attack on shopping center in Ukraine
Two waves of drones, separated by half an hour, have impacted the city of Krivyi Rih, in the east of the country
BarcelonaAt least 14 people have died and 121 have been injured, including 22 children, in a Russian drone attack on a shopping center in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, in the east of the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called it an "absolutely cynical and cowardly blow." According to the leader, the attack was carried out in two waves of drones: "half an hour after the first impact and fire, a second attack occurred against the rescue services," denounced the Ukrainian leader in a Telegram message. This is the strategy known as double-tap, which aims to attack emergency services, journalists, and other civilians who come to the scene to rescue the initial victims.
Among the injured, 29 are in serious condition, including five minors. Eight patients had to undergo emergency surgery, and there are still missing persons. In the attack, according to the Ukrainian version, the drones were flying very low, which is interpreted as a sign that the attacker reliably controls where the attack is directed. In fact, the drones devastated the shopping center, one of the largest in the city, at 4:30 PM, an hour when the establishment is usually quite full.
In this regard, the Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that Russia deliberately attacks, in broad daylight, places where the civilian population is concentrated. "People had gone to the shopping center to carry out their daily activities: to shop, to work, or to spend time with their loved ones. For Russia, this makes no difference," said Lubinets. "The Russian army once again demonstrates that civilians are a deliberate target in this war against Ukraine," he added.
According to the authorities, as a result of the attack, a third of the shopping center's surface ended up burning. After the second wave of drones, firefighting efforts were hampered because some unmanned aircraft continued to fly over the area.
On April 4 of last year, a Russian ballistic missile already hit the same city, located near the front line. The attack then affected a residential area, and 19 children died in a playground.