At least 18 people have died in a missile strike on a shopping centre in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk.
Some 1,000 civilians were estimated to be inside the busy mall at the time of the attack at around 15:50, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The leaders of the G7 group of richest nations – who are meeting in Germany – condemned the attack as “abominable”.
“Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime,” they said in a joint statement.
Russia has been blamed for the attack, which also injured at least 59 people, and there are fears the death toll will continue to rise.
Pictures online showed the building engulfed in flames and thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky described the attack as one of the “most brazen terrorist acts in European history”.
He said the mall had no strategic value to Russia and posed no danger to its forces – “only the attempt of people to live a normal life, which so angers the occupiers”.
“Only totally insane terrorists, who should have no place on earth, can strike missiles at such an object,” he added.
The local governor, Dmytro Lunin, described the attack as a crime against humanity, writing on Telegram that is was “an obvious and cynical act of terror against the civilian population”.
Authorities say 440 people from emergency services are working on location, including 14 psychologists brought in to support those affected.
Large shopping mall in Kremenchuk with hundreds of civilians inside has been hit by a Russian strike. Russia is a disgrace to humanity and it must face consequences. The response should be more heavy arms for Ukraine, more sanctions on Russia, and more businesses leaving Russia. pic.twitter.com/Uvi6fbyShK
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) June 27, 2022