Russian military aircraft conducted a concentrated aerial assault on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday evening, dropping eight powerful glide bombs over a 90-minute period. According to regional chief Ivan Fedorov, the strikes targeted residential districts, resulting in the death of a 71-year-old woman and leaving 31 people wounded, including a 16-year-old girl. The bombardment caused extensive damage to 22 apartment buildings across four districts of the city.
The use of glide bombs has become a persistent tactic for Russian forces throughout the invasion, which has now lasted more than four years. These munitions are Soviet-era bombs retrofitted with guidance systems and are capable of carrying up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds) of explosives, which leave behind massive craters. Ukrainian officials have stated that the military currently possesses no effective countermeasures to intercept these weapons.
In the wake of the attack, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his urgent appeal to international partners for additional U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems. Zelenskyy noted that while Patriot interceptors are the only reliable defense against ballistic missiles, they remain in short supply due to the ongoing war in Iran. He urged global leaders to prioritize the transfer of these systems, stating that anti-ballistic missiles should be deployed to protect civilians rather than remaining in stockpiles. Regarding the potential for domestic production, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that a final decision on granting Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot systems remains under discussion.
Zelenskyy has also proposed an alternative strategy involving the use of Starlink satellites, managed by Elon Musk, to target ballistic missile launch sites inside Russia, though officials have not confirmed if this is being considered. The broader conflict saw significant activity overnight from Sunday to Monday, with the Ukrainian air force reporting 181 long-range strike drone attacks. While air defenses intercepted or jammed 163 of these drones, 14 caused damage at 13 locations. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces struck four bulk carriers associated with the Ukrainian armed forces, including three in the Black Sea and one in the port of Mykolaiv.
In other developments, Russian-installed head Sergei Aksyonov reported that a Ukrainian attack on the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula resulted in three deaths and two injuries. Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 131 Ukrainian drones overnight across several Russian regions, the Black Sea, and Crimea. In the Belgorod region, Governor Alexander Avdeyev reported that three people were injured.
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