A Russian airstrike on a prison in a frontline region in southeastern Ukraine has killed 17 people and wounded 42 others, Ukrainian officials say.
The overnight attack in Zaporizhzhia also damaged surrounding homes, regional leader Ivan Fedorov said. Russian forces launched eight strikes using high-explosive aerial glide bombs, he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia’s “deliberate strike” on the grounds of a correctional facility, accusing Moscow of killing Ukrainians when a ceasefire “could have long been in place”.
Zaporizhzhia is one of four eastern regions in Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed since 2022, although the region is largely under Ukrainian control.
Ukraine’s justice ministry said four bombs hit the Bilenke penitentiary, destroying the dining hall, administrative headquarters and quarantine area. All those killed and wounded were inmates, it added.
Russian forces have frequently targeted Zaporizhzhia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine’s human rights commissioner said attacking a prison was a gross violation of humanitarian law as people in detention did not lose their right to life and protection.
US President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Moscow on Monday, warning that Russia had “about 10 or 12 days” to agree a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions. Speaking during a visit to Scotland, Trump told reporters he would “announce it probably tonight or tomorrow,” adding, “there’s no reason to wait, if you know what the answer is”.
Zelensky praised Trump’s “very important words” and said that Russia was “wasting the world’s time”.
Credit: bbc.com
