Russia’s intensifying military offensive in southeastern Ukraine took a deadly turn Monday night as a prison facility in Zaporizhzhia was hit by a devastating airstrike, killing at least 17 inmates and leaving 42 others injured, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice confirmed that four Russian aerial glide bombs struck the Bilenke penitentiary, causing widespread destruction. The attack obliterated several parts of the facility, including the dining hall, administrative office, and quarantine section.
“All of the casualties are inmates,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that rescue and emergency services were still combing through the debris in search of possible survivors.
Ivan Fedorov, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, revealed that a total of eight high-explosive bombs were launched, some of which also caused damage to surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The assault, described by Ukrainian officials as deliberate and criminal, has been widely condemned. Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, labeled the bombing “another war crime,” accusing Moscow of targeting non-combatants. Ukraine’s human rights commissioner echoed the outrage, stating that the attack violates international humanitarian law, stressing, “Incarceration does not remove a person’s right to life.”
Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions Russia claimed to have annexed in 2022, but the territory remains largely under Ukrainian control. Despite this, it continues to face persistent Russian air and missile strikes since the full-scale invasion began.
The latest strike comes amid rising international tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump, currently visiting Scotland, issued a stern warning to Moscow, giving Russia “10 to 12 days” to commit to a ceasefire or face new sweeping sanctions. He added that an official announcement could come “tonight or tomorrow,” declaring there’s “no reason to wait if you already know the answer.”
Trump’s fresh ultimatum follows a previous 50-day ceasefire deadline issued in early July, which Russia ignored as it escalated its military campaign.
Meanwhile, in other parts of Ukraine, deadly attacks also continued. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a missile hit the city of Kamyanske, killing two people and injuring five others. Separate strikes in the Synelnykivsky district resulted in one more death and multiple injuries. In a nearby village, a 75-year-old woman was killed and a 68-year-old man severely injured when a missile struck their home.
Ukraine has also launched its own retaliatory strikes. In southern Russia’s Rostov region, Ukrainian drones reportedly killed one person in a car in the town of Salsk and ignited a fire on a freight train. Another drone attack in Belgorod region left one man dead and his wife wounded.
The escalating tit-for-tat assaults signal a worsening humanitarian crisis as diplomatic solutions remain elusive and both sides continue trading deadly blows across national and regional borders.
