Russia launched a series of guided bomb attacks on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday, resulting in at least 16 people being wounded and causing significant damage to railways, infrastructure, and both residential and commercial buildings, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ivan Fedorov, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, reported that Russian forces targeted three city districts with a total of 13 guided bombs between 5 am (0200 GMT) and 7 am (0400 GMT). The strikes led to the injury of at least 16 individuals, including two children aged 8 and 17, Fedorov stated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky shared details of the damage on the Telegram messaging app, noting that several residential buildings, city infrastructure, and railways were affected. He also posted images from the attack sites, depicting charred cars, a damaged residential building, and rescue workers extinguishing fires. Local authorities mentioned that trains were delayed and rerouted as rescuers cleared the debris.
There was no immediate response from Moscow regarding Sunday's attacks. The highly destructive guided bombs pose a significant challenge for Ukrainian air defenses, which struggle to intercept them. Zaporizhzhia, a crucial logistics and industrial hub situated approximately 50 km from the frontline, has been increasingly targeted by Russian guided bomb strikes in recent weeks. Moscow's forces currently occupy parts of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, which is also home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
Zelensky highlighted that over the past week, Russian forces have deployed nearly 900 guided bombs, more than 300 Shahed drones, and over 40 missiles to attack Ukrainian urban centers, towns, and villages. "This Russian terror knows no pause and can only be halted by the unity of the world — unity to support Ukraine and unity to pressure Russia to end the war," Zelensky stated on Telegram.
Zelensky, who recently visited the United States to attend the UN General Assembly and present his strategy for victory in the 2-1/2 year war to key officials, is urging allies to provide more air defense support. Moscow denies targeting civilians, despite UN data indicating thousands have been killed since the February 2022 invasion.
The Russian defense ministry claimed on Sunday that its air defenses had shot down 125 Ukrainian drones overnight, while a residential apartment in the western city of Voronezh was hit, according to the local governor.
