Fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine on Saturday killed at least two people, as emergency crews in the central city of Kryvyi Rih continued to search for survivors following a devastating attack on a shopping centre a day earlier.
In the capital, Kyiv, one person died after a fire broke out in a building in the Darnytskyi district, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration, which had issued an air raid alert shortly before the incident. Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, head of the state-run Ukrainian Railways, said Russian forces had targeted a railway facility with ballistic missiles and that the victim was a foreman at the site. "The Odesa railway is also under attack," he added in a social media post on Saturday morning.
In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, a man was killed in a drone strike on the settlement of Kushuhum, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. Four other people were injured in the attack, he said.
Kryvyi Rih mourns after Friday's assault
The latest strikes came a day after Russia launched a major daytime drone assault on Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At least 16 people were killed and 130 injured in that attack, which authorities said came in two waves. The death toll could rise, as Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS) reported on Saturday that nine people, including two children, were still missing.
Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, said 61 of the injured remain in hospital, with 23 in a "serious condition." Rescue teams continued to comb through the wreckage of the shopping centre, where many of the casualties occurred. Zelenskyy shared footage on X on Saturday showing rescuers searching through debris while emergency workers spoke with people on the streets.
The attack on Kryvyi Rih has drawn widespread condemnation from European leaders, who have reiterated their support for Ukraine's defence. It also underscored the ongoing threat posed by Russian drones and missiles, which have repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure across the country. The mall strike was among the deadliest in recent weeks.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian forces launched 217 drones and a number of missiles at Ukraine overnight. The sheer scale of the attacks has strained Ukraine's air defence systems, with the economics of intercepting cheap drones becoming a growing concern for Kyiv and its allies.
The continued strikes come as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. Western officials have repeatedly called on Russia to halt its attacks on civilians, but Moscow has shown no sign of relenting. Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies are preparing for a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day, where further military and financial support is expected to be discussed.
In a separate development, Finland is investigating a suspected Russian airspace violation near its border, highlighting the broader security implications of the conflict for Europe. The incident, which occurred earlier this week, has prompted Helsinki to increase vigilance along its eastern frontier.
As rescue operations continue in Kryvyi Rih, the human cost of the war remains stark. Each new strike brings fresh grief to communities across Ukraine, from the capital to the smallest villages. For many Europeans, the war has become a grim reminder of the continent's fragility, and the need for sustained solidarity with Ukraine.
