President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia answered the recent lifting of sanctions on its diesel exports with a deadly wave of violence, dropping five glide bombs directly onto residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. The strike has killed twelve people so far, including three children, with fourteen more wounded and two fighting for their lives in critical condition. Rescue crews are still combing through the wreckage, and the status of another twelve people feared to have been in the area remains unknown as search-and-rescue operations continue. Zelensky offered his condolences to the victims' families while confirming that overnight attacks also struck thirteen Ukrainian regions, damaging homes, infrastructure, and railway facilities far beyond Zaporizhzhia.

For Zelensky, the timing tells its own story: easing pressure on Russia, he argues, only convinces Moscow it can keep bombing Ukrainian cities without consequence. He's calling for a different approach entirely, insisting Russia needs to feel real losses before it will seriously consider ending the war. Ukraine's long-range strike capability, he said, is currently the main tool forcing that reality onto Moscow, and he promised that Russian strikes will not go unanswered. Zelensky closed his statement by thanking everyone involved in the emergency response, even as the full scope of the overnight damage across the country is still being assessed.