Friday 1 July 2022 01:09 AM Kremenchuk: Ukraine releases chilling new footage of mall strike trends now
Ukraine has released chilling new footage showing people inside a shopping centre as it was struck by a Russian missile on Monday, after the Kremlin insisted the complex was 'non-functioning'.
The newly released footage was captured by CCTV cameras in and around the Amstor mall in Kremenchuk, central Ukraine, and shows people running and diving for cover as the rocket slammed into the building.
Two cameras inside the same shop captured the moment the missile struck, sending goods flying off the shelves and the shopkeeper running for cover.
Two more cameras on the exterior of the complex showed debris landing on the ground outside the mall. Another exterior camera showed smoke rising from the building as it was hit, and two passers-by narrowly avoiding flying debris.
Another camera, looking out over a parking bay, captured the rocket a split second before it flew into the building - causing a huge blast.
The new footage - released by Ukraine's security service - debunks the claim from Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for Russia’s defence ministry, who said the mall was 'non-functioning'.
At least 18 people were killed in the strike with another 21 still missing as-of Wednesday, with rescuers warning they are unlikely to have survived an inferno which gutted the mall and caused the roof to collapse.
Identifying victims is proving difficult, with some bodies burned beyond recognition.
Pictured: The Russian missile is seen a split-second before striking the Ukrainian shopping mall on Monday. At least 18 people were killed in the strike
Pictured: An explosion is seen after the missile struck the Amstor mall in Kremenchuk
Other footage from the complex released this week showed what appeared to be a guided AS-4 Kitchen missile - originally designed to take out US aircraft carriers - slamming into the shopping centre shortly before 4pm local time Monday.
More footage taken from cameras in a nearby park showed the moment a second missile struck the Kredmash factory, which sits behind the mall, destroying four warehouses and raining debris down on passersby.
Ukraine accuses Russia of hitting the centre on Monday in Kremenchuk, found 205 miles southeast of Kyiv, in what is being talked about as a war crime.
Russia denies the accusation and previously claimed its missile salvo was aimed at an arms depot and the centre was not in operation at the time.
Funerals were set to be held on Thursday for some of the 18 people confirmed killed by Monday's Russian missile strike.
Two cameras (footage shown bottom row) inside the same shop captured the moment the missile struck, sending goods flying off the shelves and a shopkeeper running for cover
Pictured bottom row: A shopkeeper is shown running for cover as the shopping centre is hit by a Russian missile on Monday
Pictured: CCTV footage shows smoke rising on Monday after the shopping centre was struck by a Russian missile. Debris was launched into the air and passers-by were lucky not to be hit
After the attack on the shopping centre, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of becoming a 'terrorist' state. On Wednesday, he reproached NATO for not embracing or equipping his embattled country more fully.
'The open-door policy of NATO shouldn't resemble old turnstiles on Kyiv's subway, which stay open but close when you approach them until you pay,' Mr Zelensky told NATO leaders meeting in Madrid, speaking by video link.
'Hasn't Ukraine paid enough? Hasn't our contribution to defending Europe and the entire civilisation been sufficient?'
He asked for more modern artillery systems and other weapons and warned the NATO leaders they either had to provide Ukraine with the help it needed to defeat Russia or 'face a delayed
