At least 16 dead and 130 injured after Russia launches 'terrorist' drone strikes on Ukrainian shopping centre
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes were a deliberate attempt to target emergency services
At least 16 people have died and 130 more were injured in Ukraine after several Russian drone strikes struck a shopping centre in an "act of barbarism", Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
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A rescue mission was underway overnight to help find survivors, with 22 of the wounded said to be children in the city of Kryvyi Rih.
At least 29 people are said to be seriously injured including five youths as emergency services and volunteers continue to clear the rubble left in the aftermath.
Mr Zelenskyy described the strikes as "nothing less than terrorist acts," and wrote on Telegram that "we will definitely respond".
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Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha confirmed that 22 children were among the wounded and said nine people were preliminarily considered missing, including two children.
Footage on social media shows rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside against a backdrop of thick smoke.
A second drone hit the roof of the building about half an hour after the first.
Elsewhere in a separate attack on Friday, at least four people including three children were killed after a Russian drone strike in Ukraine's southern region of Mykolaiv, according to Ukrainian state media.
Vladimir Putin is escalating his war on Ukraine after numerous exchanges in strikes in recent weeks.
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia with long-range missiles and swarms of drones hammering Vladimir Putin's military industries and energy facilities.
Ukraine has also targeted giant depots for Wildberries – Russia’s largest online retailer – burning billions of pounds of merchandise.
The continuation of strikes also comes as Moscow threatened the UK with "consequences" after reports that British drones have been used to strike targets on Russia’s mainland for the first time.
Ukraine used drones made by two UK companies as part of a so-called deep strike campaign, the Sunday Times reported
Thursday also saw 17 people killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv.