Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky

Thirteen killed in Russia and Ukraine strikes - officials

16 Jul 2026, 22:26 · RTE.ie

Russian and Ukrainian attacks on civilian areas in towns and cities, many on the ⁠front line of the more than four-year-old war, killed at least 13 people yesterday, local officials said.

A Russian guided bomb attack on Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed three people and wounded 15, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.

Reuters TV footage showed firefighters dousing the aftermath of blazes and crews sifting through the rubble of ‌shattered buildings in the ⁠city, which has come under intensified attack in recent weeks.

Russian missiles struck the Black Sea port of Odesa, another frequent target of Moscow, killing two people.

Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Filatov confirmed the fatalities and the missile strike at the scene. Other officials said eight people, including two children, were wounded.

Residential buildings, a religious institution, a pre-school facility, vehicles and other civilian infrastructure were damaged in the strikes, they said.

Outside the city of Kharkiv, near the Russian ‌border, a Russian drone attack killed one person, the national emergency services said.

Earlier in the ⁠day, a drone attack near the city of Kupiansk, farther ‌east, killed three people.

In Donetsk region, the focal point of ⁠most ‌fighting along the 1,200 km front line, the regional governor said one person was killed and five injured near Kramatorsk, one of the "fortress towns" where Ukraine ⁠has bolstered defences.

Other side of the border

On the other side of the border, local officials ⁠in Belgorod Region said one person was killed when Ukrainian forces shelled a settlement near the border.

And the Moscow-installed head of areas of Donetsk region under Russian control, Denis Pushilin, said one person had died in an area held by Russian forces.

Reuters could not independently ‌verify accounts from either side.

According to the UN, June was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022.

Additional reporting by AFP