Russian Airstrike on Ukrainian Prison Leaves 17 Dead, Dozens Injured

A Russian airstrike targeting a prison facility in southeastern Ukraine has left at least 17 people dead and 42 others injured, according to Ukrainian officials.

The attack took place overnight in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian forces reportedly launched eight high-explosive aerial glide bombs. The strikes hit the Bilenke penitentiary, destroying key areas including the dining hall, administrative offices, and quarantine zones. All casualties were inmates at the facility.

Local authorities also reported damage to surrounding residential buildings as a result of the blasts.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike, describing it as a “deliberate attack” on a correctional facility and accusing Moscow of continuing aggression despite the possibility of a ceasefire. “They are killing Ukrainians when peace could have already been achieved,” he said.

Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions Russia claims to have annexed since 2022, although large parts of the area remain under Ukrainian control. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the region has frequently come under Russian bombardment.

Ukraine’s human rights commissioner called the attack a blatant breach of international humanitarian law, stressing that detainees are entitled to protection under wartime conventions.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, missile and drone attacks continued on Monday, with multiple casualties reported. In the industrial city of Kamyanske, two people were killed and five injured in a strike. Additional attacks in the Synelnykivsky district claimed the life of one person and left several others wounded. In a nearby village, a 75-year-old woman was killed and her husband injured when their home was hit.

These strikes come as Russian forces attempt to make further territorial gains in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Over the weekend, Russia claimed to have captured the village of Maliyevka, a claim Ukraine has denied.

Meanwhile, Russia reported that Ukraine launched a major drone offensive overnight, targeting the southern Rostov region. One person was killed in Salsk when a drone struck their vehicle, and a fire broke out on a freight train. In the Belgorod region near the border, another civilian was killed and his wife injured after a drone strike on their car.

Tensions continue to escalate despite recent calls for a ceasefire. In a statement made during a visit to Scotland, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a renewed warning to Moscow, giving the Kremlin a tight deadline to reach a truce or face sweeping new sanctions. “There’s no reason to wait, if you already know the answer,” Trump said.

Zelensky welcomed the statement, calling Trump’s words “very important” and saying Russia was “wasting the world’s time” by refusing to end hostilities.

Despite international pressure, Russian attacks have persisted, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.