RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN ATTACKS KILL CIVILIANS AFTER MALL STRIKE

Developing story: Casualty totals, target descriptions, damage assessments and official responses may change as regional authorities update their reports.

Russian and Ukrainian attacks killed civilians on both sides Saturday, a day after a deadly Russian strike on a shopping center in central Ukraine. The Associated Press reported that Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least seven people in Ukraine, while a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Krasnodar region killed two others.

The renewed deaths came after Russian drones struck a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih on Friday, killing 16 and wounding more than 130, according to Ukrainian officials cited by Reuters and AP. The Saturday attacks showed how quickly the war’s long-range strike cycle is producing new casualties before earlier rescue operations are complete.

Ukrainian officials said ballistic missiles hit railway infrastructure in Kyiv overnight, killing one person and wounding another. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces hit a locomotive depot. In a separate strike, authorities said two people were killed Saturday afternoon in the Kyiv region.

The attacks also followed months of Russian efforts to exploit Ukraine’s shortage of Patriot interceptors. Ballistic missiles are among the most difficult threats for Ukraine to stop, and Kyiv has repeatedly said it needs more systems and missiles from allies to protect cities and infrastructure.

Ukraine has escalated its own long-range drone campaign, striking Russian logistics, energy and industrial targets. Moscow says those attacks kill civilians and damage commercial facilities. Kyiv says its campaign is aimed at reducing Russia’s ability to sustain the war and answer attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The cross-border toll complicates diplomatic efforts. Each side can point to its own civilian casualties while presenting its strikes as responses to military necessity. That makes restraint harder, especially when leaders are under public pressure to answer attacks quickly.

What is confirmed is that new Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed civilians Saturday after Friday’s deadly mall attack in Ukraine. What remains unresolved is whether either side changes its targeting approach or whether the weekend becomes another step toward a higher baseline of long-range retaliation.

Fact-check date: August 22, 2026. Article type: News. Sources: Associated Press; Reuters; Office of the President of Ukraine. Developing note: Casualty totals, target descriptions, damage assessments and official responses may change as regional authorities update their reports.