A Russian missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia has claimed at least eight lives and left 22 others injured, including a child, according to local officials.
The missile strike targeted a private clinic and nearby residential buildings in the city center on Tuesday. Authorities believe a ballistic missile, likely an Iskander, was used in the attack. The Russian defense ministry has not issued a statement on the incident.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with as many as five people feared trapped under the rubble. Overnight, emergency workers pulled two women from the wreckage, who are now receiving treatment in a hospital.
Zaporizhzhia regional head Ivan Fedorov updated the death toll later on Wednesday, revealing that one injured woman succumbed to her wounds in the hospital, while another victim’s body was retrieved from the debris.
Authorities have declared a day of mourning in the region to honor the victims.
Fedorov condemned the attack, pledging that Russia would be held accountable for its actions. “We will not forgive!” he vowed, expressing condolences to the families affected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his appeal to Western allies for advanced air defense systems, stating their necessity to save lives amid ongoing missile and drone assaults by Russia.
“We don’t have enough systems to protect our country from Russian missiles. But our partners have these systems.
“Again and again, we repeat that air defence systems should save lives, not gather dust in warehouses,” Zelensky said following the attack.
In a related development, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations over a drone attack on a convoy carrying experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The convoy, en route to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), included vehicles from the UN nuclear watchdog. One vehicle was severely damaged in the attack, though no injuries were reported.
chief Rafael Grossi condemned the incident as “unacceptable,” reaffirming the agency’s commitment to preventing a nuclear disaster in the conflict.
Zaporizhzhia remains a focal point in the ongoing war, as one of four Ukrainian regions Russia claims to have annexed since 2022. Despite these claims, Russia does not fully control the region, which includes Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.