Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia injure at least 9, maternity hospital damaged
Editor's note: This story is being updated.
Russian troops launched two attacks on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia on Feb. 1, injuring at least nine people, including a child, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Around noon, Russia struck a maternity hospital, injuring at least six people. Among the injured were two women who were being examined when the Russian attack happened, Fedorov said.
Later in the day, a Russian drone attacked one of the districts in Zaporizhzhia, injuring two women and a four-year-old boy, the governor said.
He shared footage from the sites showing a damaged building with shattered windows and rising smoke, as well as houses damaged in a separate attack.
"The strike on the maternity hospital is yet another proof of a war waged against life," the governor said.
Throughout the full-scale war, Russia has multiple times targeted maternity hospitals, alongside attacks on other civilian infrastructure. In 2022, Russian forces struck a maternity ward in Vilniansk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing a two-day-old boy.
The latest attack on Zaporizhzhia also damaged nearly three dozen other buildings, including 15 multi-unit apartment buildings and 11 homes, the city administration reported.
The attack came as Russia ramps up its offensive in the southern region, regularly launching strikes in the area.
The attack came amid ongoing efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. As Moscow's attack pushed Ukraine's energy system into a crisis, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Jan. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to suspend attacks on Ukrainian cities for one week. However, Moscow later said that this would only apply to Kyiv and would last until Feb. 1, just before the next cold snap.
"Putin continues his war against civilians contrary to peace efforts," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said following the attack on Zaporizhzhia.
"Only strength can force him to end his aggression and terror. There must be no pauses in pressure on Moscow and support for Ukraine."
