THIS is the terrible instance when frightened families hid in dread and ran away as Vladimir Putin bombed a nearby Ukrainian retail mall.

As terrified mothers with their children observed, the initial blast sent debris into the pond, according to CCTV footage from a park near the bombed mall.

Couples and families who were in the park close to the Amstor mall in Kremenchug flee as the camera trembles upon contact.

The screen then becomes orange as a result of a second impact. The man jumps into the water out of terror as the pair huddles down.

After that, he can be seen diving into the sea to escape being hurt by the flying debris.

While trash is falling all around her and ominous clouds are forming in the sky, a woman is seen rushing away.

A mother running towards a nearby tree while grabbing her little child is depicted from a different angle.

Another of Putin’s missiles targets shoppers inside the mall just as they approach the tree, killing at least 18 and injuring many more.

This time, the camera captures the explosion from a distance, but it’s still audible enough to startle park visitors.

A bystander runs hysterically in their direction as the woman grabs her infant and hides under the tree.

One jogger collapses as the rocket hits the ocean in a third video.

A second, more noticeable blast is seen as he stands up. This time, the runner collapses to the ground as mall debris splashes into the pond.

Later, he may be seen sitting up and marvelling at what just happened.

More video depicts people crossing the bridge and walking on the island in the pond.

They flee the scene as the terrible explosion occurs. Additionally, frightened birds can be seen flying away from the incident.

Also spotted fleeing across the bridge are what appear to be young children covering their ears from the deafening noise with their hands.

More people who were not visible in the opening scene flee the island as another explosion occurs.

Today, Russia denied firing missiles at the mall, claiming instead that it had attacked a nearby storage facility for US and European weapons, setting off an explosion that started the mall fire.

“In Kremenchuk, Russian forces targeted a weapons store housing munitions acquired from the United States and Europe with high-precision air-based weapons,” the Russian defence ministry stated in a daily statement on the conflict.

“A fire broke out in the adjacent inoperative shopping centre due to the detonation of ammunition for Western weaponry that was stored there.”

Maksym Musienko, 26, who was working in an electronics store at the mall on Monday when the blast occurred, describes the horrific experience. He estimates that there were roughly 100 consumers present in the store at the time.

“We were at work. There were a lot of people in the store, but after that, I don’t recall anything “He claims.

“For the Russians, the shopping centre is not a dangerous location. We believed we were far from the border “Adding, Maksym

He was injured by shrapnel, sustained a concussion, and received numerous scrapes while being treated in a hospital.