A Russian missile strike has claimed the lives of at least eight people and injured 22 others, including a child, in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, according to local authorities.
The Tuesday attack targeted a private clinic and residential buildings in the city centre, leaving five individuals feared trapped beneath the rubble, police said.
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Overnight, rescue teams pulled two women from the debris; both are now receiving treatment in a hospital. The search and rescue operation is ongoing.
Zaporizhzhia regional head Ivan Fedorov stated that the strike involved a ballistic missile, likely an Iskander. Russia’s defence ministry has not issued a statement.
Initial reports from regional authorities indicated six fatalities, but the toll rose later in the day as one injured woman succumbed in hospital and another victim’s body was recovered from the wreckage.
With the rescue operation still underway, officials warn the death toll could climb further.
Fedorov expressed condolences to the victims’ families, condemning the attack and vowing justice. “Russia will pay for every Ukrainian life taken and mutilated,” he declared. “We will not forgive!”
In response, a day of mourning was declared in the Zaporizhzhia region on Wednesday.
The attack underscores Ukraine’s urgent appeals for advanced air defence systems from its Western allies to counter persistent Russian missile and drone assaults.
Shortly after the incident, President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for stronger air defence support from the international community.
“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,” he said.
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