Ukraine says 1 killed, 26 injured due to Russian airstrikes in Zaporizhzhia

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukraine said on Thursday that at least one person was killed and 26 others were injured due to overnight Russian airstrikes on the country’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

“At night, the Russian army launched missile and drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia, targeting residential areas and infrastructure. As of now, one person has been reported killed as a result of this terror. 26 others were injured, including a two-month-old baby, “ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X.

Search and rescue personnel were also wounded in the city, he noted, saying that all relevant services are working at the scene of the strike to assist those affected.

Such attacks call for increased pressure on Russia, signaling the need for more sanctions against Russia and more air defense systems and weapons for the Ukrainian military, Zelenskyy added.

Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said two airstrikes occurred in the city overnight, describing the first one as a drone attack that struck an energy facility, resulting in widespread blackouts.

The second strike with ballistic missiles injured those deployed to eliminate the consequences of the initial attack, the governor added.

“Currently, more than 20,000 subscribers remain without electricity, another 17,000 without heat supply,” he also noted.

Ukraine's Air Force claimed that four Iskander-M missiles were fired on the city, and that 57 out of 92 drones launched by Russia on eight regions of Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, were downed by air defenses.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the attack.

Zaporizhzhia is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the front line with Moscow and has been frequently hit by airstrikes amid the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been ongoing for more than 1,000 days.