At least 16 dead after Russian ‘double-tap’ strike on shopping center

According to the rules of law, anchored in the Geneva Conventions, first responders engaged in humanitarian rescue and medical duties must be protected and it is a war crime to target them deliberately when they are doing their jobs.

But during the war in Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly been accused of conducting so-called “double-tap” attacks, specifically aimed at hurting first responders.

The double-tap works by first attacking a target, and then shortly after, when first responders have arrived at the scene to help injured civilians or put out a fire from the first strike, another strike is launched targeting the first responders.

And this is exactly what happened on Friday in a crowded shopping center in Ukraine.

At least 16 dead

On Friday, August 21, Reuters reported that Russia had conducted a “double-tap” strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine when two enemy drones hit the building in quick succession. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after the initial explosion, only to face a second blast thirty minutes later.

At least 16 people died. More than 130 others suffered injuries, with Regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha confirming that many children were among the wounded. “There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” he posted on Telegram.

Rescue workers from seven regions arrived to search through 9,000 square meters of rubble. Four people remain missing. Local military chief Oleksandr Vilkul said the low-flying drones targeted innocent civilians, calling the attackers “animals”.

Outrage in Kyiv

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who grew up in Kryvyi Rih, condemned the deliberate attack on emergency workers. Calling the strike “absolutely cynical and despicable”, he urged global leaders to hold Moscow accountable. “Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelensky stated according to the BBC.

The strike follows a sharp surge in aerial bombardment. A major missile attack on Kyiv killed 17 people just a day earlier. Ukrainian air defenses intercept 90 percent of incoming drones, but stopping fast ballistic missiles remains a serious challenge.

Kyiv continues to ask allies for more American Patriot defense systems. Zelensky reported “missile and drone strikes throughout the evening and night” across several areas, leaving homes and transport networks heavily damaged.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation