Russian forces launched a brazen daytime attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens more.
The attack came hours after Ukrainian forces struck an oil depot deep inside Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the toll could rise as rescuers responded to the scene.
Zaporizhzhia was once considered relatively safe but has increasingly come under attack in recent months. The city holds symbolic significance as the capital of the Zaporizhzhia region, which Russia has sought to annex.
The latest attack is the largest from a single strike in recent weeks and comes as both sides project strength before President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration. Ukraine’s military has been targeting Russian airfields to limit strikes on its energy system.
Ukrainian forces are also pressing an offensive in western Russia, where they have seized about 500 square miles of territory. Russia has regained roughly half of the territory it lost during last summer’s cross-border incursion.
The Biden administration is set to announce a substantial final aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, while Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is in Germany for talks with a coalition of Kyiv’s backers.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/world/europe/ukraine-russia-oil-depot.html