footage from CCTV cameras shows people suddenly fleeing as they enjoy a quiet summer day in the park after Russian A cruise missile strike at a nearby shopping mall sent debris flying into the air.
in Kremenchuk shopping center was attacked on Monday, killing at least 18 people and necessitating a thorough search of the rubble for survivors and bodies. The CCTV footage was taken in a park next to the mall.
The impact of the explosion can be seen in one frame of the video that was shared on social media. The lawn and pond in the park are then seen growing into a menacing dark shadow as smoke rises off-screen from the building. The force of the explosion throws debris into the air, some of which splashes into the pond.
In another video, two people are seen running, one of whom jumps over a fence and falls into a pond as the kick comes from behind them.
In another segment of the video, where an explosion is visible in the background, a man hurriedly carries a small child out of the water and hides behind a tree. The video shows that before the main explosion, smoke was already rising near the shopping center. Two rockets were used in the attack.
Another image shows people running for safety across a bridge, while birds perched on a pagoda in the middle of a pond suddenly scatter as the explosion occurs.
Russia still denies civilian targets
Since its latest invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, Russia has consistently denied that it has targeted civilians. Without providing any supporting documents, Ministry of Defense of Russia said on Tuesday that the Kremenchug shopping center was “out of business” and that the fire started as a result of “the detonation of stockpiled ammunition for Western weapons.”
Ukrainian police responded by posting parts of what they claim Russian X-22 cruise missiles near the mall.