Russian drones struck a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine on Friday. The attack killed at least 15 people and injured 130 others, according to regional authorities. The injured included 23 children, Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said.
The attack hit the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Russian forces carried out a “double-tap” attack. Under this tactic, the first wave strikes a location. A second wave then hits the same area while rescuers and emergency workers respond.
“Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. Later, in a video address, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would respond to the attack on the shopping center.
Other Russian Attacks Kill Six
Friday’s violence extended beyond Kryvyi Rih. A separate Russian drone attack hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. The strike killed two women aged 73 and 66. Two other people suffered injuries, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Another Russian attack struck the southern Mykolaiv region later in the day. Emergency officials said four people died. The victims included three children. Together, the three attacks killed at least 21 people across Ukraine on Friday. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 135 drones overnight. Ukrainian forces shot down or suppressed 107 of them.
Kryvyi Rih Faces Repeated Attacks
Kryvyi Rih has faced repeated Russian attacks since the war began more than four years ago. The city suffered one of its deadliest strikes in April 2025. That attack killed 20 people, including nine children.
The latest attack came only a day after Russia launched a major aerial assault on Kyiv. Russian forces used dozens of missiles and drones in that attack, killing 16 people.
Russia Steps Up Large-Scale Airstrikes
Russian strikes have increased in scale and frequency in recent months. More than two weeks ago, a Russian attack hit Kyiv and the surrounding region. It killed 17 people. Another attack two days earlier killed nine people in the city.
The United Nations said Kyiv ranked among the worst-hit cities in July. At least 54 civilians died and 202 others were injured there during the month. Moscow has also increased its use of ballistic missiles against Kyiv. Analysts say Russia is taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of US-made Patriot air defence interceptors. The Patriot system remains the only weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of intercepting some of the ballistic missiles used by Russia.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Inside Russia
Ukraine also carried out long-range drone attacks against Russian targets on Friday. A Ukrainian drone strike in Russia’s Belgorod region killed one person and injured four others. The attack hit a car near the village of Razumnoye. Two of the injured remained in serious condition, according to local officials.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Perm. The facility lies more than 1,600 kilometres, or about 995 miles, from Ukraine’s border. A separate Ukrainian attack targeted the Marinovka military airfield in Russia’s Volgograd region, according to Zelenskyy.
Russian online news outlet Astra reported that a Ukrainian drone set fire to a Lukoil-operated refinery in Perm. Local authorities confirmed damage at an unspecified “industrial facility” but did not identify the site.
Russia Reports Hundreds of Drone Interceptions
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted 325 Ukrainian drones overnight. The drones were reportedly detected over 15 Russian regions and Crimea. Moscow illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
The Russian Defence Ministry later reported that its forces had shot down another 211 Ukrainian drones on Friday.
Long-Range Drone War Intensifies
The latest attacks show how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is increasingly moving beyond the battlefield. Russian and Ukrainian forces have intensified long-range strikes as neither side has made major gains on the ground.
The front line stretches for about 1,250 kilometres, or 780 miles, across eastern and southern Ukraine. Large numbers of drones and ground robots now operate around the battlefield. These systems make it much harder for troops and military vehicles to move.
Ukraine has also expanded its domestic drone production. Over the past year, Kyiv has developed and deployed long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russia. The growing capability has attracted attention from foreign governments and defence companies.
Kyiv Seeks to Increase Pressure on Moscow
Ukrainian officials want attacks inside Russia to make the war more visible to the Russian public. Kyiv also hopes the strikes will increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace agreement.
So far, Putin has shown no clear indication that he plans to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The continuing attacks on both sides point to an expanding long-range war, even as the ground fighting remains largely restricted by extensive drone use.