Tue Jul 29 06:24:43 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Russian forces conducted strikes on a penal colony in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of 16 people and injuries to at least 35 others. The correctional facility and nearby homes were damaged. Ukrainian officials condemned the attack as a war crime and called for stronger economic and military measures against Russia. Russia has been regularly attacking Zaporizhzhia since the start of the war in 2022.

**News Article:**

**Russian Strike on Zaporizhzhia Penal Colony Kills 16, Injures Dozens**

**Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine – July 29, 2025** – A Russian military strike on a penal colony in the frontline Zaporizhzhia region of southwestern Ukraine has left 16 dead and at least 35 injured, according to Ukrainian regional military officials and Governor Ivan Fedorov. The overnight attack reportedly took place on July 28, 2025 and caused significant damage to the correctional facility buildings, as well as nearby private residences.

Governor Fedorov, posting on Telegram, stated that Russian forces launched eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia district, purportedly using high-explosive aerial bombs. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report, and there was no immediate comment from Russian authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the strikes, calling them “another war crime committed by Russia.” He reiterated calls for economic and military pressure to be applied to the Russian government, led by President Vladimir Putin, to curtail its capacity for waging war. “Putin’s regime…must face economic and military blows that strip it of the capacity to wage war,” Yermak stated on X.

Moscow forces have consistently targeted Zaporizhzhia with drones, missiles, and aerial bombs since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia unilaterally declared annexation of parts of Zaporizhzhia and other Ukrainian regions early in the conflict, a move widely condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies as an illegal land grab.

While both sides in the conflict deny targeting civilians, the United Nations has documented thousands of civilian casualties, with the majority being Ukrainian. The latest strike on the Zaporizhzhia penal colony further intensifies international concern over the ongoing conflict.

Read More