Ukrainian officials report that a Russian airstrike targeting a prison in a frontline area of southeastern Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of 17 individuals and left 42 others injured.
Regional leader Ivan Fedorov reported that the overnight attack in Zaporizhzhia resulted in damage to nearby homes. According to reports, Russian forces executed eight strikes employing high-explosive aerial glide bombs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denounced Russia’s “deliberate strike” on a correctional facility, alleging that Moscow is responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians at a time when a ceasefire “could have long been in place”.
Zaporizhzhia stands as one of four eastern regions in Ukraine that Russia asserts it has annexed since 2022, even though the area remains predominantly under Ukrainian control.
According to Ukraine’s justice ministry, four bombs struck the Bilenke penitentiary, resulting in significant damage to the dining hall, administrative headquarters, and quarantine area. The report confirmed that all individuals who were killed and injured were inmates.
Since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian forces have consistently focused their attacks on Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s human rights commissioner has condemned the attack on a prison, labelling it a significant breach of humanitarian law, emphasising that individuals in detention retain their right to life and protection.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump delivered a pointed ultimatum to Moscow, indicating that Russia had “about 10 or 12 days” to reach a ceasefire agreement or risk facing extensive sanctions. During a visit to Scotland, Trump informed reporters that he would “announce it probably tonight or tomorrow,” stating, “there’s no reason to wait, if you know what the answer is.”
Zelensky commended Trump’s remarks as “very important” and asserted that Russia was “wasting the world’s time.”
In July, Trump issued a 50-day ultimatum to the Kremlin, demanding a truce with Kyiv or facing economic repercussions. However, this warning has failed to stop Russia’s ongoing series of strikes.
Late on Monday, the Dnipropetrovsk region of eastern Ukraine experienced additional casualties due to a missile and drone attack.
According to regional head Serhiy Lysak, a strike on the industrial city of Kamyanske has resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left five others injured.
In a tragic incident in the Synelnykivsky district, one individual lost their life and multiple others sustained injuries. A 75-year-old woman was killed, and a 68-year-old man was injured when their residence was struck in a village late on Monday.
As Russia intensified its offensive, a series of attacks unfolded in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine.
Over the weekend, Moscow announced that its forces had taken control of the village of Maliyevka, marking a significant development weeks after their initial capture of a town in the region. Ukraine has dismissed the assertions made by Russia.
In a recent development from Russia, officials reported that Ukraine executed a drone strike involving dozens of uncrewed aerial vehicles overnight in the southern Rostov region. This attack resulted in the death of one individual in their car in the town of Salsk and ignited a fire on a goods train.
A fatal incident occurred in the border region of Belgorod, where an individual was killed in their vehicle, leaving their spouse injured.
