ZAPORIZHZHIA: At least 15 people, including children, died in a Russian aerial strike on the city.
Russia used a glide bomb, a guided munition dropped from aircraft that can evade air defences more easily than cruise missiles.
Zelensky directly linked the timing to a recent US diesel supply agreement, calling the attack Moscow’s “thanks” for Western support.
The strike underscores Russia’s continued targeting of Ukrainian cities far from the front line.
◆ Why it matters
Zelensky is framing the attack as retaliation, pushing Washington to see every civilian death as blowback for half measures. Moscow gains nothing tactically from killing civilians in Zaporizhzhia, but the timing signals that any Western support will be met with escalation. The diesel deal was meant to keep Ukraine’s generators running through winter, and now Zelensky is daring the US to answer with heavier weapons or watch the pattern repeat.
Source: BBC World