In brief
On Saturday morning, Russian forces dropped five glide bombs on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, destroying an apartment block and killing at least 20 civilians, including four children. The attack left 32 injured and several others missing under rubble. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a striking statement, described the assault as Russia’s "thanks" for a U.S. diesel‑import deal signed by Donald Trump the previous night, asserting that the easing of sanctions was playing into Moscow’s strategy. Acting mayor Regina Harchenko condemned the strike as an attack on the city’s heart and highlighted ongoing rescue operations. Zaporizhzhia, with more than 700,000 residents and situated just 16 km from the front line, has faced multiple drone and missile assaults since the war began in 2022.
Russian forces dropped five glide bombs on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday morning, striking residential buildings and destroying an apartment block. Local officials confirmed that the attack killed at least 20 people, including four children, and left 32 injured, with additional civilians missing amid the rubble.
In a sharply worded statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the assault as Russia’s “thanks” for a U.S. diesel‑import deal signed by President Donald Trump the preceding night. Zelensky said the easing of sanctions had been used by Moscow to keep fighting, and added that 13 other regions had also fallen to attacks overnight.
Acting Mayor Regina Harchenko told Ukrainian television from the strike site that the ground floor of the struck building was hit first and that the floors above collapsed. She reported that more than 80 workers were currently involved in search‑and‑rescue operations, which would continue throughout the day. Harchenko lamented that “our littlest ones” were among the dead, calling their loss an “awful grief” for both families and the city.
Zaporizhzhia—a regional center of over 700,000 residents—is located less than 10 miles (16 km) from the front line and is a frequent target for Russian drones and missiles. The assault occurs amid a broader escalation of attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including energy facilities and civilian transportation hubs. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of targeting its civilian population, while, in turn, Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian infrastructure critical to its war effort.
