Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region injured 26 people on Friday, as fighting intensified along the front lines and both sides accused the other of escalating strikes on civilian infrastructure. The sustained bombardment of Zaporizhzhia city, including an overnight attack that injured ten, including an eight-year-old child, underscores the continued vulnerability of urban centers nearly two years into the conflict.
Regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported 720 Russian attacks on 31 settlements within the Zaporizhzhia region on Friday, resulting in one death and eight injuries. The attacks utilized a combination of drone strikes, artillery shelling, and three missile strikes, according to a post on Fedorov’s Telegram channel. Damage assessments are ongoing, but the scale of the assault indicates a renewed push by Russian forces in the area.
Separately, in Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced that Russian attacks injured 16 people, including two children, on Friday. Notably, Ukrainian authorities detected a Russian first-person-view (FPV) drone in the Kharkiv region on Tuesday, marking the first confirmed instance of this type of drone reaching the area, according to a statement from the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. While the drone impacted a tree and caused no direct injuries, its presence signals a potential shift in Russian tactics.
The conflict extended beyond Ukrainian territory on Friday, with Ukrainian missiles striking the Russian border town of Belgorod, causing significant damage to energy infrastructure. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region’s governor, reported disruptions to power, water, and heating services. Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov stated that nearly 10,000 residents were left without power following the attacks, which he described as “regular shelling” by Ukrainian forces according to Al Jazeera. Belgorod’s operational headquarters reported 115 Ukrainian drones were launched towards the region within a 24-hour period.
Amidst the ongoing hostilities, the issue of missing persons continues to loom large. Ukrainska Pravda reported that more than 90,000 Ukrainians are currently considered “missing under special circumstances,” encompassing both military personnel and civilians, including children. Artur Dobroserdov, Ukraine’s commissioner for missing people, provided the figure.
A prisoner exchange took place on Friday, with Ukraine receiving the remains of 1,000 bodies from Russia, potentially those of Ukrainian defenders, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky confirmed the handover of 1,000 bodies to Kyiv, and the receipt of 35 bodies of Russian soldiers in return. This exchange followed recent trilateral talks held in Geneva, Switzerland, involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine.
Diplomatic efforts continue alongside the fighting. Ukrainian and US officials met in Geneva on Thursday to discuss post-war reconstruction, though a comprehensive peace agreement remains elusive as reported by Al Jazeera. Russian officials also held talks with US counterparts on Thursday, according to Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special economic envoy, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Russia has vowed to retaliate against a European Union decision to reduce the size of the Russian diplomatic mission in Brussels, asserting that the EU’s actions disqualify it from participating in negotiations to complete the war. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova characterized the EU’s move to limit the Russian mission to 40 personnel as “discriminatory.” Zakharova also warned that any deployment of British troops in Ukraine would escalate the conflict, responding to recent statements by British Defence Minister John Healey.
