Russian 'Double-Tap' Drone Strike on Kryvyi Rih Shopping Center Kills 16; Further Strikes Hit Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia
A Russian drone attack on a Kryvyi Rih shopping center resulted in significant casualties, with further strikes reported in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, while a key international meeting on Ukraine aid is set for August 24.
The day on the war
A Russian drone strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, on Friday, August 21, killed at least 16 people and wounded 130, according to local authorities. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported that 22 children were among the wounded, with 29 people in serious condition.
President Zelenskyy condemned the attack as "absolutely cynical and despicable," noting that a second drone struck the center approximately half an hour after the first, deliberately targeting emergency services. He described such incidents as "nothing less than terrorist acts" and vowed a response.
Rescue operations continued through the night, with nine people, including two children, still reported missing as of Saturday morning. Separately, Russian strikes on Saturday, August 22, killed at least two more people in Ukraine. One railway employee was killed in a ballistic missile attack on a warehouse in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, while a drone strike in Zaporizhzhia killed one man and wounded four others.
Along the front
General Front Line
Development: Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces made confirmed territorial advances on August 21.
Source: ISW
Strikes & the grid
| Location | What | Toll |
|---|---|---|
| Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | Russian drone strike on a shopping complex. | At least 16 killed, 130 wounded (including 25 children), with 9 people still missing as of August 22. |
| Kyiv, Darnytskyi district | Russian ballistic missile strike on a railway warehouse. | One railway employee killed and several injured on August 22. |
| Zaporizhzhia | Russian drone strike. | One man killed and four people wounded on August 22. |
| Across Ukraine | Russian forces launched 135 long-range strike drones. | Occurred on the night of August 20 to 21. |
| Russia (military airfields and oil infrastructure) | Ukrainian forces conducted strikes. | Details on specific damage or casualties not immediately available. |
What we'll be watching next 72h
- The Coalition of the Willing, a group of countries supporting Ukraine, will hold its next meeting on Monday, August 24, hosted by leaders from the UK, France, and Germany.
- Monitoring developments regarding North Korea's reported deployment of drone operators to Russia's Kursk Oblast and their potential impact on the conflict.
- Observing Ukraine's request for approval to use Starlink-equipped drones for strikes up to 200 kilometers inside Russia.
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