Russian forces struck the major Ukrainian industrial city of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday evening, hitting its Central Bus Station and a medical university clinic with guided aerial bombs (KABs). The attack injured 20 people and damaged multiple buildings, according to local authorities.

The strikes occurred just days before a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August. The summit—expected to address the war in Ukraine—has prompted warnings from Kyiv and European leaders that no peace deal should be negotiated without Ukraine’s direct participation.

Two targets, significant damage

Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration head Ivan Fedorov said one KAB hit the Central Bus Station and another exploded near the Zaporizhzhia Medical University clinic. Both locations sustained structural damage. Initial reports suggest no one inside the clinic was hurt.

Casualties and emergency response

Authorities confirmed 20 civilians were injured, suffering multiple blast wounds to limbs, heads, and abdominal areas. Rescue workers, medics, and police are on the scene.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as part of Russia’s ongoing war of destruction:

“Across the entire front line and in our border cities, Russia continues to take lives. They are not seeking peace — they are seeking a way to kill Ukraine. If Russia does not want to stop the war, then its economy must be stopped.”

He called for stronger sanctions and greater international pressure, particularly from the United States and Europe.

Ongoing regional escalation

A day earlier, on 9 August, Russian shelling in Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed three people and wounded another, police said. Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have attacked 15 settlements, launching nearly 500 strikes with aircraft, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), and drones.