Following Russia's attack on a shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, which claimed the lives of 16 people, criminal proceedings have been opened over official negligence. As part of the proceedings, the actions of officials of the company that owns the Kryvyi Rih shopping mall and the tenants in the complex will also be examined. The director of one of the supermarkets has already been served with a notice of suspicion, Interior Minister Ivan Vygivskyi said on social media on Saturday, UNN reports.
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"At a time when Russia is deliberately striking shopping malls and hypermarkets, a responsible attitude toward people's safety must come first," the minister emphasized.
Police investigators in the Dnipropetrovsk region, under the procedural guidance of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, have launched criminal proceedings over official negligence. As part of the proceedings, they will examine, among other things, the actions of officials of the company that owns the shopping mall in Kryvyi Rih, as well as the companies that rented premises in the complex. The police investigators and prosecutors have just served the director of one of the supermarkets with a notice of suspicion
According to the Interior Minister, "despite warnings from local authorities to suspend operations during air raids, the facility continued to operate. A significant number of the people killed were found there."
"As a result of this targeted Russian strike, 16 people were killed and around 130 more were injured. Approximately 20 minutes passed between the announcement of the air raid in the city and the first drone impact," he said.
According to the minister, "during the investigation, the police will establish, among other things, whether visitors and employees were properly informed, whether instructions to evacuate the building were issued in a timely manner, and will also examine information circulating online about blocked shelter doors."
"The actions of all responsible persons and the approved response algorithms will be comprehensively examined—whether they were adapted to the actual threats in the frontline region," Vygivskyi said.
The Interior Minister urged "managers at all levels to treat threats responsibly and take timely measures for the sake of people's safety." "This especially applies to all regions bordering the frontline and Russia. During an air raid, it is important to respond promptly—to prevent crowds from forming and to protect lives," the minister emphasized.
In Kryvyi Rih, authorities warned of possible new enemy strikes on shopping malls22.08.26, 18:11