Ukraine calls Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia penal colony 'another war crime'

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

Russian strikes on a penal colony in the frontline region of Zaporizhzhia in south-western Ukraine has killed 16 people overnight and injured at least 35, Ukrainian officials say.
Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the correctional facility's buildings were destroyed, and nearby private homes were also damaged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the strikes as "another war crime" committed by Russia.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin's regime, which also issues threats against the United States through some of its mouthpieces, must face economic and military blows that strip it of the capacity to wage war," Mr Yermak said on X.
Moscow forces have regularly attacked Zaporizhzhia, using drones, missiles and aerial bombs, since the start of the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia unilaterally declared early in the war its annexation of parts of Zaporizhzhia and areas in and around three other Ukrainian regions.
Kyiv and its Western allies called the move an illegal land grab.
Mr Fedorov said Russian forces launched eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia district, reportedly using high-explosive aerial bombs.
Reuters could not independently verify Mr Fedorov's report.
There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes, but thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
Mr Trump warned Russia it had "10 to 12 days" to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine before he would expand sanctions, slashing the lengthier deadline he suggested earlier this month.
Speaking at his Turnberry golf club in Scotland on Monday, local time, Mr Trump said he would enforce severe tariffs on Moscow and its trading partners if it did not agree to end its full-scale invasion.
Mr Trump told reporters he was "disappointed" in Mr Putin.
He later said the new timeline would be "10 to 12 days" and that he would confirm the exact number soon.
The surprise announcement drew a furious response from the Kremlin, with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posting on X: "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with [Trump's] own country."
Mr Yermak posted on social media: "When America leads with strength, others think twice."
Reuters/ABC