Search continues for four missing after deadly Russian strike on Ukrainian mall

Rescue operations are underway at a Ukrainian shopping mall after a Russian military strike claimed at least 16 lives and left dozens injured on Friday. Emergency workers are carefully searching through the wreckage for four individuals still reported missing from the attack.

The strike wounded approximately 130 people, a significant portion of them children. The shopping centre was struck during what officials described as a coordinated assault, with the death toll potentially rising as rescue efforts continue.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as "despicable," denouncing what he characterized as the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure. The assault adds to mounting civilian casualties from Russia's ongoing military operations in Ukraine.

Search and rescue teams have deployed specialized equipment to locate survivors and recover victims from the collapsed sections of the building. Authorities are providing medical assistance to the injured, with hospitals mobilizing additional resources to handle the influx of casualties.

The attack underscores the vulnerability of civilian areas to military strikes, drawing renewed international attention to the humanitarian toll of the conflict. Ukrainian officials have documented the incident as part of their record of alleged Russian attacks on non-military targets.