Russian bombing kills 13 people in Zaporizhia

At least 13 people have been killed and 18 others injured in Russian bombings in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said.

“The Russians cynically attacked the city in the middle of the day,” said regional head Ivan Fedorov, adding that two air-guided bombs hit residential buildings.

Images have emerged showing a high-rise building on fire and several vehicles on fire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on allies to put pressure on Russia “for its terror.” The Russian military has not commented. President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In a video message from outside the bombed site, Fedorov said the Russian shelling began around 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Wednesday.

He said two guided bombs hit residential buildings. He said earlier that “industrial infrastructure” had been targeted.

Graphic images posted online showed first responders tending to the dead on the side of the road, several burning vehicles and a stationary tram with its windows smashed.

In one video, at least two minibuses are seen with their windows blown out and what appear to be dead people lying in the rubble and debris on the road.

Zaporizhzhia is near the front line.

In a speech later on Wednesday, President Zelensky said “there is nothing more cruel than aerial bombing of a city, knowing that ordinary civilians will suffer.”

And asking for more help from Ukraine’s allies, that “only through force can a war be ended with a lasting peace.”

A day of mourning will be declared in the Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday.