Wed Jan 08 20:10:54 UTC 2025: ## Russian Airstrike Kills 13 Civilians in Zaporizhzhia

**ZAPORIZHZHIA, UKRAINE** – A Russian guided bomb attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia has resulted in the deaths of at least 13 civilians and injured approximately 30 more, Ukrainian officials reported Wednesday. The attack, which struck a residential area in the mid-afternoon, damaged high-rise residential buildings, an industrial facility, a tram, and a bus. Graphic images shared by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media showed bloodied civilians receiving emergency treatment in the streets.

Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov stated that at least two residential buildings were directly hit. The Prosecutor General’s Office described the scene as widespread devastation, with debris impacting both public transport vehicles and civilian structures. While Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, this attack follows a pattern of Moscow striking civilian infrastructure throughout the nearly three-year conflict.

A military analyst at King’s College London, Marina Miron, noted that the targeted industrial plant had been previously attacked in November, allegedly due to its use by Ukrainian forces for drone assembly. However, the civilian casualties raise the possibility of interference with Russian navigation systems, Miron suggested.

The attack occurred hours after Ukraine claimed responsibility for striking a fuel depot in Russia’s Saratov region, a facility reportedly supplying missiles to a Russian air base. This long-range strike highlights Ukraine’s development of its own extended-range arsenal, compensating for limitations on the use of Western-supplied missiles. These attacks, on both sides, come amidst escalating tensions and as both countries attempt to project strength.

President Zelenskyy addressed the international community, emphasizing Ukraine’s need for security guarantees from nations advocating for peace. His comments followed President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks expressing understanding for Russia’s concerns about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership. Zelenskyy highlighted the reluctance of several NATO members, including the US, to immediately accept Ukraine into the alliance.

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