Russian drone strikes hit the Amstor shopping mall in Zaporizhzhia, a major city in southeastern Ukraine, late on Thursday, triggering a massive blaze that left the complex "practically destroyed", according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. One person was reported injured in the attack, which struck the mall on the city's right bank. Rescue operations were completed by Friday morning.

Emergency service footage showed firefighters battling extensive flames across the complex under difficult and dangerous conditions. Fire crews were forced to repeatedly withdraw from the site to take shelter from the risk of further drone strikes before returning to continue their work. The blaze was eventually extinguished after hours of effort.

In a moment that drew particular attention, local media reported that children using a nearby outdoor skatepark managed to survive the blast by taking cover in the concrete recesses built into the skate bowls. Beyond the mall itself, Ukrainian authorities said the strike also damaged other civilian infrastructure in the area, including businesses, buses, bus stops, and commercial facilities.

Zaporizhzhia, located in southeastern Ukraine and known internationally as the site of Europe's largest nuclear power plant — which has been under Russian control since early in the war — has been subject to repeated Russian drone and missile attacks throughout the conflict. Thursday's strike is part of a broader pattern of Russian aerial assaults on civilian infrastructure across Ukrainian cities.

The destruction of a busy commercial complex like the Amstor mall underscores the ongoing threat posed to civilian life in frontline and near-frontline Ukrainian cities. International observers and humanitarian organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about attacks on non-military targets, which they argue constitute violations of international humanitarian law.