Massive assault on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region leaves 12 dead

As many as twelve people have been killed and a further 49 injured following a wave of Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia city and the wider Zaporizhzhia and Polohy districts.

Over the course of the past day, Russian forces carried out 989 strikes across 51 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, marking one of the most intense periods of bombardment in recent weeks, Ivan Fedorov, Governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast has said.

Authorities reported that two missiles struck Zaporizhzhia itself, while the region also came under sustained aerial assault. In total, 34 air strikes hit multiple locations, including Zaporizhzhia, Komyshuvakha, Zarichne, Malokaterynivka, Marivka, Yurkivka, Novoivanivka, Boikove, Barvynivka, Liubytske, Shevchenkivske, Rizdvyanka, Lisne, Odarivka, Orikhiv, Omelnyk, Verkhnia Tersa, Kopani, Svoboda, Hirke, Shyroke, Chervonyi Yar, Vozdvyzhivka and Rivne.

Drone warfare remained particularly intense, with 690 unmanned aerial vehicles—mostly FPV types—targeting a wide range of settlements, including Zaporizhzhia, Kushuhum, Chervonodniprovka, Bilenke, Marivka, Novoiakivlivka, Nahirne, Stepnohirsk, Stepove, Pavlivka, Lukianivske, Orikhiv, Huliaipole, Zaliznychne, Shcherbaky, Novoandriivka, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Charne, Huliaipilske, Staroukrainka, Sviatopetrivka, Tsvitkove, Varvarivka, Olenokostiantynivka, Pryluky, Dobropillia and Nova Zaporizhzhia.

Separately, eight rocket salvo systems struck Stepnohirsk, Stepove, Lukianivske, Mali Shcherbaky, Huliaipilske and Vozdvyzhivka, while artillery fire added further pressure across the region. Officials recorded 255 artillery strikes affecting settlements including Novoiakivlivka, Stepnohirsk, Prymorske, Stepove, Pavlivka, Lukianivska, Orikhiv, Huliaipole, Zaliznychne, Shcherbaky, Novoandriivka, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Charne, Huliaipilske, Staroukrainka, Sviatopetrivka, Varvarivka, Olenokostiantynivka and Dobropillia.

Regional authorities said they received 183 reports of damage to housing, educational facilities, vehicles and wider infrastructure as emergency services continued to assess the scale of destruction across the affected areas. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev