Ukraine's Kushuhum, Balabyne hit hard as Russian forces shell civilian areas One killed, school, homes damaged / PHOTO

On the morning of April 9, Russian forces launched a series of strikes on settlements in the Kushuhum community of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia district, causing extensive damage to homes and the local school, officials reported.

One shell hit the yard of the Prestige school, leaving a large crater near the building, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

“The blast wave damaged the school building. Windows were blown out, furniture shattered. None of the staff were injured,” said Zhanna Vynnychenko, the school’s director. Classes have resumed in an underground facility nearby, which remained intact.

The community has reported widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, with Russian forces continuing attacks for the third consecutive day, employing multiple rocket launcher systems (MLRS) and KAB precision-guided bombs.

“We are currently examining the situation, checking what damages occurred. Yesterday about 80 homes were damaged; today the same amount,” said Volodymyr Sosunovsky, head of the Kushuhum community.

In the Balabyn direction alone, at least eight strikes were recorded. Four people were injured and one person was killed. Firefighters and civil protection services are responding to the attacks, providing assistance to the injured and mitigating further damage.

The strikes have forced the community to reorganize daily life and educational routines under challenging conditions. Sosunovsky emphasized that while the situation is under control, destruction has affected numerous settlements, leaving residents to cope with damaged homes and disrupted services.

By Vafa Guliyeva