Zaporizhzhia, a major city relatively close to the frontlines in the south, has been a constant target for Russian forces in recent weeks. This morning's first attack, which destroyed a block of flats as people slept, was the latest to hit civilian targets. Across the country, other non-military sites have been hit recently, including power stations, electricity transmission lines and residential buildings. Ukrainian officials have said this is how Russia is responding to recent defeats on the battlefields, as the army continues to retake occupied territory. In the neighboring region of Kherson, Ukraine’s forces appear to be regrouping after reclaiming three more villages along the strategic Dnipro River. In an update this morning, the army said the situation remained difficult, and that Russian troops continued to shell civilian areas.
After taking back the strategic town of Lyman in Donetsk, the Ukrainian military advanced into the Luhansk region, and the governor said six villages had been “liberated” in the last two days. The Ukrainian gains are happening in territories Russia says it is incorporating, following so-called referendums that were widely dismissed as a farce. Kyiv says President Putin’s annexations have no legal value. Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister, said in a tweet: “While the ‘russian [sic] parliament’ is intoxicated from the futile attempts at annexation, our soldiers continue moving forward. This is the best answer to any and all ‘referenda’, ‘decrees’, ‘treaties’ and pathetic speeches.”
Rescue teams have been hard at work following missile strikes in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia this morning.
The regional governor earlier posted to say at least two people had died and five were trapped in rubble following the alleged Russian attack.
An initial wave of explosions just before dawn was followed by a second, several hours later.
