Ukrainians search for 20 missing after Russia strikes mall

By FRANCESCA EBEL and YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KREMENCHUK, Ukraine (AP) — Search teams and relatives are racing to find people missing after a Russian airstrike on a shopping mall killed at least 18 people in the center of Ukraine. Several families stood by what was left of the Amstor shopping center in the city of Kremenchuk on Wednesday as crews looked through the rubble. Ukrainian authorities say 20 people remained missing after Tuesday’s missile strike. An official says the blast was so powerful that investigators have found only body parts of eight more victims. Meanwhile, Russian forces are battling to surround the Ukrainian military’s last stronghold in a long-contested eastern province.