Russians respond to bridge attack with airstrike, killing 13
One day after a bridge explosion cut off a key Russian supply route in Crimea, Russian forces responded with an airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia that killed at least 13 people.
In a report from CNN, Ukrainian officials confirmed that a barrage of six Russian cruise missiles had been launched at the southern city, which has a reported population of just over 720,000 people. In addition, a torrent of at least 16 anti-aircraft missiles also fell on the city. The weapons were launched from groups of Russian fighter jets that had originated from within occupied Ukrainian territory.
Russians reportedly targeted civilian infrastructure and residential neighborhoods on purpose. Footage from the aftermath of the attack showed at least one high-rise apartment building that had been completely leveled. Dozens of other buildings sustained heavy damage. The deceased are still being accounted for, and The Associated Press reported a death toll of 13, though one report from USA Today said that at least 17 had died.
The attack on Zaporizhzhia comes just one day after a massive explosion decimated the only bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia. This brought supply movements to a halt, and represented a massive blow to Russian morale, particularly given that the bridge's construction had been something of a passion project for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine has not officially taken credit for the bridge attack, though military officials celebrated the event by taunting the Russians on social media.
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