Russia strikes Zaporizhzhia after US eases fuel sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia responded to the US lifting sanctions on its diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, killing at least 12 people, including three children.

A resident sits on debris at the site of his apartment building damaged during a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine October 10, 2026.

REUTERS/Stringer

Zelensky said 14 other people were injured, two of them critically. The fate of 12 more people who may have been in the buildings was still being verified, he said. Search-and-rescue operations were under way, with all emergency services at the scene.

“My condolences to all their families and loved ones”, Zelensky wrote on social media.

Russian forces attacked 13 Ukrainian regions overnight from Friday into Saturday, damaging residential buildings, infrastructure and railway facilities, he said.

Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. As of now, sadly, twelve people have been confirmed killed, including three children. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. Another fourteen people have been injured, and two of them are in critical condition – the doctors are fighting to save their lives. The status of twelve more people who may have been there is still being verified. All emergency services are at the scene, and search-and-rescue operations are underway. Overnight, thirteen of our regions came under attack. Residential buildings, infrastructure, and railway facilities have been damaged. Last night confirmed once again that in Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed. Russia must understand that it needs to stop the war, and for that to happen, Russia must feel its losses. Right now, it is our long-range capabilities that are ensuring this. And we will respond to Russian strikes. I thank everyone who is helping.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 10, 2026

Zelensky said the attack showed that Moscow treats any easing of pressure as licence to keep bombing cities. “Different signals are needed”, he said. He added that Russia must feel its losses before it will end the war, and said Ukraine’s long-range capabilities were currently achieving that. “We will respond to Russian strikes”, he said.

Trump announced the arrangement on his Truth Social platform on Friday after what he called a “highly successful” call with Putin. He said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes "immediately thereafter."

A further 3 million tonnes could follow, Trump said, depending on the technical condition of Russian refineries. That would bring the total to 4.8 million tonnes. The deal suspends sanctions on Russian fuel until April 2027.

(jh)

Source: Polish Radio 24