A deadly Russian attack using five glide bombs has struck residential areas in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, resulting in at least 20 deaths, including four children. Local officials confirmed that the strikes, which occurred on Saturday morning, left at least 32 individuals injured, while emergency teams continue to search for missing people believed trapped beneath the debris. Photos and videos from the site of one of the strikes in Zaporizhzhia show an apartment block mostly destroyed.
Acting Mayor Regina Harchenko, speaking from the scene, described the scale of the destruction, noting that the impact on the ground floor caused the upper sections of an apartment building to collapse entirely. Currently, more than 80 rescue workers are engaged in recovery efforts, periodically halting their work to listen for survivors buried in the rubble.
President Volodymyr Zelensky linked the timing of the strike to a diplomatic development, suggesting Russia was expressing its thanks for a recently announced US agreement to ease sanctions on Moscow regarding diesel imports. Zelensky pointed out that 13 other Ukrainian regions faced overnight strikes, asserting that such aggression indicates Russia interprets any reduction in international pressure as a signal to intensify its military campaign. Arguing this demonstrated Russia took “any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting”, he added that 13 other regions had come under attack overnight.
Harchenko characterized the attack as a strike at the city’s heart, lamenting the loss of children and the profound grief it has brought to the community. Zaporizhzhia, a significant regional hub with a population exceeding 700,000, sits fewer than 10 miles (16km) from the active front line, leaving it frequently vulnerable to Russian drone and missile incursions.
