Russian military claims airstrike on Ukrainian town caused fire at mall

An airstrike on the Kremenchug ammo stockpile in Ukraine caused a fire at a closed shopping mall nearby, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims.

The Russian military said it had launched an airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Kremenchug on Monday, but it claimed it targeted a stockpile of Western weapons. The report said that the detonation caused damage to a nearby non-functioning shopping mall. Kiev had claimed that Russia attacked the shopping center, killing and injuring many civilians.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the location of the arms stockpile was close to the Kredmash factory. The Amstor Mall, where a fire was reported by Ukrainian sources on Monday, is right next to it. The military claimed that the Western munitions detonated and caused a fire at the facility, which was no longer operating.

Ukrainian officials claim that the mall was packed with people at the moment when Russia attacked it. The car park outside was almost empty, according to the video.

According to the latest casualty report, 18 people were killed and 59 were injured in the incident, with 25 of the wounded taken to the hospital for treatment.

The incident in Kremenchug was described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as one of the most blatant terrorist attacks in European history. He stated that the site posed no threat to the Russian military and had no strategic value.

Kremenchug is a town in central Ukraine about 250 km southeast of Kiev. The Russian military had previously attacked a major oil refinery in the city, denying the Ukrainian military fuel for their vehicles.