Photo: SES
On September 29, Russia launched an attack on Zaporizhzhia using 13 guided aerial bombs. The assault resulted in the destruction of residential buildings and left 16 people injured. The Russians had been intensively shelling the city throughout the previous week. The enemy’s UAVs reach the city swiftly, leaving residents with little time to seek shelter.
This was stated by Oleksandr Kovalenko, a spokesman for the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, on Hromadske Radio.
«Sixteen people were wounded. Two women are in the hospital, one in serious condition. This woman was rescued from the rubble of a nearly destroyed four-storey building. She suffered severe injuries, and doctors are doing everything they can to save her life,» said Kovalenko.
The city was shelled with 13 bombs. According to Kovalenko, the shelling of Zaporizhzhia had intensified since September 22, with attacks occurring mainly in the evenings and nights, typically after 21:00 or 22:00. However, on Sunday, the strikes began in the early morning at 5:00.
«Many homes were destroyed, including one multi-storey building and at least five houses in the private sector. Dozens, possibly hundreds, of homes were damaged, with windows, doors, and balconies blown out. Fires broke out in several locations, including cars and garages. One of the attack’s epicentres was near the city’s main railway station, where a train was halted, and windows in several carriages were shattered. Although the train schedule was briefly altered, it returned to normal by the afternoon.»
Kovalenko noted that Russia is using modified Soviet-era ammunition with extended range, allowing them to hit targets up to 70-80 kilometres away. The bombs are launched from aircraft positioned 30-40 kilometres from the contact line, the same distance from Zaporizhzhia.
«The insufficient air defence allows these shells to reach Zaporizhzhia. After an air raid alert is issued, it only takes tens of seconds or minutes before civilian areas are struck. Over the past week, one person has been killed, and more than 50 people have been injured.»
During the summer, Russian forces damaged the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station (DniproHES) during one of their attacks. The dam serves as one of the primary connections between the right and left banks of Zaporizhzhia. While transport links have been partially restored, they are frequently suspended for repairs.
There are more than 1,100 shelters in Zaporizhzhia, according to Kovalenko. These include over 800 simple shelters, more than 200 safe havens, and 21 radiation shelters. However, due to the short time it takes for enemy shells to reach the city, many residents cannot make it to shelters in time and often rely on the «two-wall» rule for protection.
As a reminder, on the night of 30 September, Russian forces shelled the Mykolaiv region, resulting in the closure of the Dolynska-Mykolaiv railway line.