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Russian Forces Strike a Residential Area in Zaporizhzhia, Killing 12
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Russian military forces launched an attack on Zaporizhzhia using four guided aerial bombs and several drones. The head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, reported on May 5 that the death toll has increased to 12 people. This followed an earlier report from the State Emergency Service which had initially confirmed nine fatalities.
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One victim who was rescued from the rubble later died in the hospital. Emergency workers have since put out all fires at the impact sites. Rescue operations continue as emergency services remain active on the scene.
According to the National Police in the Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian military targeted a residential district with guided bombs, hitting an infrastructure facility, a service station, and a car wash. The strikes caused fires and damaged industrial buildings, vehicles, and nearby homes.
The police reported that Russian forces used a double-tap tactic during the incident. “When police, rescuers, and medical services began to provide emergency assistance to the wounded, the occupiers insidiously directed attack drones to the site of the shelling,” the police stated.
The regional administration updated the number of injured to 16 people. Most victims are in moderate condition with blast injuries. Police, paramedics and forensic experts are working at the sites to document the event as a war crime. So far, only four of the 12 victims have been identified. Experts from the search center for missing persons are currently working to identify the remaining eight victims.
Regina Kharchenko, the secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, announced that a day of mourning will be declared tomorrow to honor those killed in the attack. Earlier reports had initially placed the number of injured at six before the figures were updated by local authorities following the drone strikes and the discovery of more victims under the debris.
The recent bombardment of Zaporizhzhia follows a pattern of intensified Russian strikes across the country, similar to the widespread attacks on April 15 that targeted civilian infrastructure in Dnipro, Cherkasy, and Sumy.
On April 15, 2026, Russian forces carried out a series of overnight strikes across several Ukrainian cities. In Dnipro, a missile hit a nine-story residential building and left an administrative center engulfed in flames, resulting in the deaths of five men and leaving several others injured.
Meanwhile, in Zaporizhzhia, an attack on a public transport stop killed a 74-year-old kiosk worker and caused extensive damage to local businesses and homes. Despite the efforts of air defense forces to intercept numerous drones, the coordinated assault led to significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure throughout the targeted regions.
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