Strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 12

A Russian guided-bomb strike on Zaporizhzhia's southeastern district killed 12 people and wounded 20 after hitting residential buildings, a car repair shop and a car wash, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. The attack ignited multiple fires and, according to city council secretary Rehina Kharchenko, was followed by a second wave of assaults using Shahed drones that hampered rescue teams and municipal services from reaching the scene promptly.

Rescuers worked amid rubble and flames while emergency crews assessed structural damage and searched for survivors. Local officials described the bombing as a deliberate hit on civilian facilities, noting that long delays in access increased risk to those trapped or injured. The strike on Zaporizhzhia formed part of a wider surge of Russian attacks across eastern Ukraine that Ukrainian authorities say killed at least 25 people in the same 24‑hour period and damaged homes and critical infrastructure in multiple localities.

The violence came as Kyiv put forward a proposal for an open‑ended ceasefire beginning at midnight and urged Moscow to reciprocate; Russia has separately announced a two‑day ceasefire to coincide with commemorations and a military parade in Moscow. Ukrainian leaders rejected the notion of a symbolic pause limited to parade dates, arguing that isolated stoppages do not halt ongoing civilian harm. Observers warned that intensified strikes ahead of proposed pauses are a tactical pattern seen in conflicts and said the recent attacks cast doubt on prospects for immediate de‑escalation.

Humanitarian and emergency agencies continued search-and-rescue and medical evacuation operations in affected areas, while investigations into possible criminal and war‑crimes implications were anticipated. The strikes underscored the persistent civilian toll of the war and the fragility of ceasefire efforts amid competing military and political objectives.