Russian Drone Strike Kills Seven at Pavlohrad Shopping Centre
Reporting based primarily on vg.no.
Russian strikes killed at least seven people and wounded 76 others, including eight children, in a drone attack on a shopping centre in the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad on Thursday afternoon. [2]
Pavlohrad Shopping Centre Strike
Russian drones rammed the centre of Pavlohrad on Thursday afternoon. [2] The attack occurred in broad daylight while streets were full of people. [2] Ukraine's interior minister Ivan Vyhivskyi stated on Telegram that the Russians attacked a shopping centre in the centre of Pavlohrad about one hour before his post. [2] Region leader Oleksandr Ganzha confirmed that shops and cars in and around the shopping centre sustained major damage. [2] Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the strike was carried out with drones. [2]
Casualties and Impact on Civilians
The death toll reached seven with 76 wounded according to the latest update from region leader Oleksandr Ganzha. [2] Eight children were among the wounded. [2] Zelenskyy stated that the Russians killed with drones people who were simply at the shopping centres. [2] The strike hit the centre of Pavlohrad in broad daylight while streets were full of people. [2] Butikkene og bilene rundt kjøpesenteret fikk store skader etter angrepet. [2]
Simultaneous Strike in Kyiv
Russian air strikes injured two people and caused a fire in a nine-storey apartment building in Kyiv. [1] Officials confirmed the injuries and the fire resulting from the strikes. [1] The incidents formed part of the same wave of Russian air operations that also targeted Pavlohrad. [1]
Recent Pattern of Attacks
The Pavlohrad attack followed a similar strike on a shopping centre in Sumy the previous day that killed two 21-year-olds and wounded at least 20 others. [2] The same Sumy shopping centre was struck again during the night to Thursday while it was closed for repairs after the first attack. [2] Russia has recently intensified drone and missile attacks on civilian targets far behind the front line, including supermarkets and shopping centres during daytime. [2] Pavlohrad itself was hit earlier when a supermarket caught fire after a Russian attack at the end of August, wounding seven people. [2] Kyiv Independent reported that Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian supermarkets and shopping centres, also in daytime when many civilians are present. [2]
Civilian Toll from Long-Range Weapons
In July, long-range missiles and drones accounted for 38 percent of civilian casualties in Ukraine. [2] The UN human rights monitors recorded at least 437 civilians killed and 2610 wounded that month. [2] This marked the highest monthly civilian death toll since May 2022. [2] Long-range missiles and drones formed the largest cause of civilian losses in July, with most incidents occurring in urban areas far from the front line. [2] Russia has intensified the use of drones and missiles against targets far behind the front line in recent months. [2]
What to watch next: Further Russian drone and missile strikes on civilian retail sites in rear areas remain likely given the recent pattern of daytime attacks on supermarkets and shopping centres.
