In brief
A fifth‑day into the war, Russian armed forces launched a devastating glide‑bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, destroying residential buildings and leaving more than 15 dead, including three children. Emergency responders and the acting mayor reported extensive damage to an apartment block, with search and rescue crews combing rubble for survivors. The strike comes hours after former President Donald Trump secured a diesel supply deal with Russia, sparking criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who condemned the move as an investment in the war. Ukraine’s federal authorities say they will respond militarily to Russian hostility, while the United Nations reports a sharp increase in civilian casualties in the past eight months. The attack adds to a string of recent missile and drone strikes that have intensified civilian suffering across eastern and southern Ukraine.
Russia has launched a devastating glide‑bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, causing at least 15 deaths, including three children, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky and emergency service officials.
The bombs struck residential buildings in the south‑eastern city, creating widespread collapse and rock‑fall. Rescue teams, numbering more than 80 workers, are still combing rubble for survivors while listening for sounds of trapped civilians.
After the strike, Zelensky emphasized that 13 other Ukrainian regions had been hit overnight, pledging a military response. He also criticised the United States for permitting Russian diesel imports—a move he called a "gift to President Putin" that prolongs the war.
With the city’s strategic position just 16 kilometres from the front line, Zaporizhzhia is a frequent target of Russian aircraft and drones. Experts say the recent rise in glide‑bomb strikes reflects an escalation aimed at civilian infrastructure, contributing to 55% more casualties since the start of the year, as reported by the United Nations.
While Ukraine conducts counter‑attacks—including recent strikes on Russian data centres owned by Yandex—hostilities continue to fuel a humanitarian crisis that the international community watches closely.
