Ukraine announced on Sunday that a Russian strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia had killed one person and left nine others wounded, as Poland scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace amid the escalating assault.
Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia region, confirmed on Telegram that the “combined strike” claimed the life of a woman, while the injured included a 16-year-old girl who was receiving medical treatment. He also shared images from the scene showing a damaged multi-storey residential building and a burnt-out car.
The attack triggered a nationwide air alert in Ukraine from 4:09 a.m. (0109 GMT), forcing authorities to halt public transportation in several cities. The mayor of Lviv, near Ukraine’s western border with Poland, said trams and buses were suspended due to what he described as a “massive enemy attack.” In Ivano-Frankivsk, another western city, officials announced that transport services would begin later than usual.
Poland’s armed forces said in a statement on X that jets had been scrambled and ground defences placed on high alert, particularly in areas close to Ukraine.
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The latest strikes also targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a growing focus of Russian attacks as temperatures drop. Fedorov reported that more than 73,000 consumers were left without electricity in Zaporizhzhia, while the mayor of Lviv confirmed parts of the city were also without power.
The assault underscores the intensifying pressure on Ukraine’s civilian population and infrastructure as Russia ramps up its winter campaign.