A strike by Russian forces on Wednesday (July 16) afternoon on a shopping centre and market in Dobropillia, a town near the front line of the 40-month-old war, killed four people, injured at least 27 and caused widespread damage, officials said.

Ruslan Osypenko, Head of the National Police in the eastern Donetsk region, said a 500-kg (1,100-pound) bomb was deployed at 5:20 p.m., when shoppers were out.

He said the attacked, that killed four and injured at least 27, damaged 75 buildings, including 54 pavilions, 13 apartment buildings and 8 vehicles.

Video released by police showed areas around the shopping centre on fire with smoke billowing skywards.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, described the attack as "simply horrific, stupid Russian terror. There is no military logic to their strikes, only an effort to take as many lives as possible."

Dobropillia lies northwest of Pokrovsk, a focal point for months of Russian forces' slow advance westward through Donetsk region. An attack on Dobropillia with missiles, rockets and drones in March killed 11 people, including five children.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

DOBROPILLIA, UKRAINE (JULY 16, 2025) (NATIONAL POLICE , DONETSK REGION - Must on-screen courtesy National Police, Donetsk region)

(PILLARBOX VIDEO)

1. VARIOUS OF FIRES BURNING, SMOKE, RIBBLE ON THE GROUND, PEOPLE RUNNING

2. FRAGMENTS OF METAL ON THE GROUND

3. WOUNDED PERSON ON THE GROUND (BLURRED AT SOURCE)

4. VARIOUS PEOPLE RUNNING, CARRYING WOUNDED PERSON (PART VIDEO BLURRED AT SOURCE)

5. DESTROYED SHOPS, KIOSKS

6. AMBULANCE

(WIDESCREEN VIDEO)

7. FIREMAN ON LADDER HOSING WATER ONTO DESTROYED BUILDING

8. FIRE ENGINE

9. VARIOUS DESTROYED SHOPS, RUBBLE

10. (SOUNDBITE) (UKRAINIAN) RUSLAN OSYPENKO, HEAD OF NATIONAL POLICE , DONETSK REGION SAYING:

"A powerful airstrike was carried out by a FAB-500 bomb on the centre of Dobropillya, namely on the Aurora shopping centre, which was open at the time. OSYPENKO CONTINUING OVER PICTURES OF THE SITE, SAYING: "The second floor collapsed on the first floor. Rescue and search operations are underway. As of now, OSYPENKO CONTINUING: "We have recorded 75 damaged buildings, including 54 pavilions, 13 damaged apartment buildings and 8 vehicles."

11. FIRE ENGINE

12. VARIOUS FIREMEN, EMERGENCY WORKERS