Kiev, Ukraine (AP) — A wave of Russian drone attacks on Friday resulted in significant casualties in Ukraine. At least 15 people lost their lives, and dozens were injured during an attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, as reported by authorities. Additional Russian offensives in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions contributed to a total death toll of 21 across Ukraine on that day.
Kryvyi Rih is the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who labeled the strike a ‘double tap’ attack. This strategy involved an initial wave of drones hitting the area, followed by a second during rescue operations. Zelenskyy condemned such actions as acts of terrorism, expressing on social media that Ukraine would respond. A video message released by Zelenskyy reiterated his stance.
Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, stated that the shopping center attack claimed at least 15 lives and injured 130 individuals, including 23 children. Kryvyi Rih has been targeted numerous times throughout the war, which has spanned over four years. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in April 2025, when 20 individuals, including nine children, died.
Earlier on Friday, two women, ages 73 and 66, were killed, and two others injured in a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv region, according to regional head Oleh Syniehubov. Another nighttime Russian assault killed four people, including three children, in Mykolaiv region.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting or neutralizing 107 out of 135 drones launched by Russia overnight, as stated in a Telegram post. These attacks took place merely 24 hours after Russia struck Kiev with missiles and drones, resulting in 16 fatalities. Large-scale Russian offensives have become frequent this summer.
In recent weeks, Russia intensified missile attacks on Kiev, exploiting the shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors, a U.S.-manufactured weapon system capable of countering such missiles.
In retaliation, Ukraine launched drone attacks on Russian targets. On Friday, one person was killed and four injured when a car was hit in the Belgorod region, near Razumnoye. Officials reported two of the wounded were in critical condition. Additionally, Ukrainian drones targeted a refinery in Perm, causing a fire according to Russian online media Astra.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed overnight interception of 325 Ukrainian drones across 15 Russian regions and Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Later, they reported downing another 211 drones.
Analysts observe an escalation of long-range attacks between the nations as front-line troop movements remain constrained by the prevalence of drones and ground robots. Over the past year, Ukraine has developed long-range drones to strike deep within Russia, drawing global attention from governments and defense manufacturers.
Kiev aims to make the Russian public acutely aware of the war’s impact, urging pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin for peace negotiations. To date, Putin has shown no inclination toward halting the invasion.