Russia attacked the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia with five glide bombs on Saturday morning, killing at least 15 people, including three children, Ukrainian authorities said.
The glide bombs hit residential neighbourhoods in the city early on Saturday, with two of them striking blocks of flats. One bomb completely destroyed the entrance to a three-storey apartment building, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) reported, while other residential buildings and private homes were also damaged.
FAKTA
- What happened: Five Russian guided aerial bombs hit residential areas of Zaporizhzhia early on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Two struck apartment blocks; one destroyed the entrance to a three-storey building.
- Casualties: At least 15 people killed, including three children, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky and the State Emergency Service. At least 16 people injured; several still missing, believed to be under the rubble.
- Rescue operation: More than 80 rescue workers are clearing rubble at the scene, with operations expected to continue throughout the day.
- Wider overnight assault: Zelensky said 13 other regions were also hit overnight. The Ukrainian air force reported 160 Russian drones launched, with 117 shot down or neutralised by 9 a.m.
- Context: The attack came just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to import Russian diesel into the United States.
Zaporizhzhia glide bomb attack: residential areas hit
Ukrainian national police said Russian forces targeted residential neighbourhoods in Zaporizhzhia with five guided aerial bombs in the early hours of Saturday. Photos and video from the scene show an apartment block largely destroyed, with the ground floor hit and the floors above collapsed.
“The ground floor was hit, and the floors above just collapsed,” acting Mayor Regina Kharchenko told Ukrainian television, speaking from the scene. She said rescue workers regularly stop to listen for any noises from survivors who could be trapped under the rubble.
Children among the dead
Three children were among the at least 15 people killed in the Zaporizhzhia glide bomb attack, Ukrainian authorities confirmed. At least 16 others were wounded, and emergency services warned the death toll could rise as the search continues.
Kharchenko said Russia had struck “at our very heart” and that the deaths of children were “awful grief for their families.” Regional governor Ivan Fedorov wrote on Telegram: “Medical staff are doing everything they can to help everyone.”
Overnight assault across Ukraine
President Zelensky said 13 other regions had also been hit overnight, adding: “Our responses to [these] Russian strikes will come.”
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched 160 drones overnight, including 82 jet-powered Shahed-type drones as well as Gerber and other models. Air defences had shot down or neutralised 117 of them by 9 a.m., while strikes were recorded at 14 locations. The figures were provided by Ukrainian authorities.
Denial and timing
Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, though residential buildings and civilian infrastructure have been repeatedly hit since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than four years ago.
The latest strikes came a day after Mr Trump said he had struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply diesel to the United States — a move Kyiv warned would help bankroll Moscow’s war effort. For more international coverage, see Watan News in English.
