Ukrainian Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi reported this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

“At a time when Russia is deliberately striking shopping centers and hypermarkets, a responsible approach to people’s safety must come first,” Vyhivskyi said.

According to him, police investigators in the Dnipropetrovsk region, under the procedural supervision of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, had opened criminal proceedings on charges of official negligence. As part of the investigation, they will examine the actions of officials of the company that owns the Kryvyi Rih shopping center, as well as the companies that rented premises there. Investigators and prosecutors have now notified the director of one of the supermarkets of suspicion.

“Despite warnings from local authorities to suspend operations during air raid alerts, the facility remained open. A significant number of the victims were found there. This targeted Russian strike killed 16 people and injured about 130 others. Approximately 20 minutes passed between the air raid alert being issued in the city and the first drone hitting,” the Interior Minister said.

According to Vyhivskyi, investigators will establish, among other things, whether visitors and employees were properly informed, whether an evacuation order was issued in time, and whether reports circulating online about the shelter doors being blocked were accurate.

“They will comprehensively examine both the actions of all responsible officials and the approved response procedures, including whether they had been adapted to the real threats facing a frontline region,” he said.

Vyhivskyi urged officials at all levels to take threats seriously and respond promptly to protect people’s safety.

“This is especially important for all frontline regions and those bordering Russia. During an air raid alert, it is crucial to respond promptly – to prevent crowds from gathering and to protect lives,” he stressed.

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Kryvyi

Rihextinguished – Zelensky

As reported by Ukrinform, on August 21, Russian forces attacked a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih with drones. Sixteen people were killed and 130 injured, while nine others remain missing. Sixty-one people injured in the attack, including 14 children, are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.