Russian missile hits apartment block in newly ‘annexed’ Ukrainian region

KYIV, Oct 6 (Reuters) – A Russian missile demolished an apartment block in a Ukrainian region that Moscow says it has annexed, killing at least one woman, as the Ukrainian military forged ahead with its drive to recapture land in the south and east.

The missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia in the southern region of the same name left some people buried under the rubble, the regional governor said on Thursday, and was a stark reminder of Moscow’s ability to strike targets even at a time when its forces appear to be struggling on the battlefield.

There was no immediate comment on the strike from Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine has begun to unravel after a Ukrainian counteroffensive in which thousands of square miles of territory have been retaken since the start of September, including dozens of settlements in recent days.

In a blow for Moscow, thousands of Russian troops have retreated after the front line crumbled, first in the northeast, and, since the beginning of this week, also in the south.

Images of the aftermath of Thursday’s missile strike, which took place in the early hours of the morning, showed a gaping, rubble-strewn hole where a terracotta-coloured five-storey apartment block used to stand next to a wine shop.

Reuters reporters saw firefighters bringing a father and son down a long ladder and talking to an older man still trapped under rubble and covered in dust.

Eduard, a 49-year-old man who survived the attack said: “It was dark, around five in the morning. I was woken up by a strong explosion. The room filled with smoke and dust. I jumped up to go see what had happened.”

Twelve people were wounded, including a three-year-old child, and five were still under the rubble, said Oleksandr Starukh, the governor.

The attack came just a day after President Vladimir Putin signed a law to incorporate four partially occupied Ukrainian regions into Russia, including Zaporizhzhia, in Europe’s biggest attempted annexation since World War Two.

Kyiv called the new law, which seeks to incorporate about 18% of Ukraine’s territory into Russia, the act of a “collective madhouse”.

Russia moved to annex the four regions after holding what it called referendums – votes that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive.

‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a late night address on Wednesday that his army had retaken more settlements in the southern Kherson region.

Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, Zelenskiy addressed pro-Moscow forces, telling them they had already lost.

“Ukrainians know what they are fighting for. And more and more citizens of Russia are realizing that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war,” he said, in a reference to Putin.

Footage released by the Ukrainian army in Kherson showed a Russian infantry fighting vehicle with a white piece of fabric wrapped around its gun barrel surrendering to Ukrainian troops and its three-man Russian crew falling to their knees as a group of Ukrainian soldiers covered them with their guns.

Ukraine’s military in the south said its forces had killed at least 58 Russian fighters, destroyed nine tanks, 17 armoured vehicles and four howitzers.

Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.

Kirill Stremousov, a Russian-installed official in Kherson, said that Ukraine’s advance in the area had been halted.

“The situation is under control, there is no advance of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, and our military guys are working,” he said on the Telegram messaging app.

Stremousov also defended what he said was a decision to fall back and regroup.

“We simply regrouped, and if anyone does not like this word, we regrouped because, thanks to this regrouping, we saved the lives of our military, our guys.”

Moscow’s map of Ukraine appears to show shrinking areas it controls. A map of “new regions” published by state news agency RIA included the full territory of the four Ukrainian provinces, but some parts were labelled as being under Ukrainian military control.

Inside Russia, signs of discontent with the leadership of the defence ministry, which is run by Putin ally Sergei Shoigu, have begun to bubble up among even loyalist state TV hosts.

“Please explain to me what the general staff’s genius idea is now? Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most prominent Russian talk show hosts, said on his livestream channel.

“Do you think time is on our side? They (the Ukrainians) have hugely increased their amount of weapons… But what have you done in that time?”

KYIV, Oct 6 (Reuters) - A Russian missile demolished an apartment block in a Ukrainian region that Moscow says it has annexed, killing at least . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • tropical-storm-flossie-hurricane-mexico-pacific-coastTropical Storm Flossie to Strengthen into Hurricane as It Tracks Along Mexico’s Pacific Coast Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane by July 2 as it moves parallel to Mexico’s Pacific coast, bringing dangerous rainfall, wind, and surf. Tropical Storm Flossie is on the verge of forming from Tropical Depression Six-E and is forecast to strengthen rapidly into a hurricane as it parallels Mexico’s southwestern…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-mexico-coast-rain-surf-alertCabo Corrientes under tropical storm watch as Flossie expected to Bring Heavy Rain and Dangerous Surf to Southwestern Mexico Tropical Storm Flossie is forecast to strengthen and may impact Mexico's southwest coast from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes with heavy rain, flooding, and hazardous surf early this week. Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to deliver heavy rains, gusty winds, and dangerous surf conditions to Mexico’s southwestern coast in the coming days, prompting authorities to issue…
  • timeshare puerto vallartaUS Uncertainty Slows Growth in Mexico’s Vacation Property Market in 2025 Tourism developers in Mexico lower 2025 sales projections due to U.S. policy uncertainty under Trump, with American buyers making up 70% of the market. Mexico’s vacation property market is feeling the effects of political turbulence north of the border, with tourism developers projecting slower sales growth in 2025. According to the Mexican Association of Tourism…
  • cancun-beach-cleanup-sargassumMassive Beach Cleanup to Combat Sargassum in Cancun After a week of the Cancun’s tourism department denying sargassum existed and insisting media photos were fakes, over 600 public servants and volunteers joined the first simultaneous beach cleanup. In a bold step toward environmental preservation and tourism sustainability, Cancun's Municipal President Ana Paty Peralta led the city’s first simultaneous beach cleanup effort this week.…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-strengthens-mexico-june-2025Tropical Storm Flossie Strengthens Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Could Become Hurricane by Tuesday Tropical Storm Flossie gains strength off southwestern Mexico, with hurricane status possible by Tuesday. Storm warnings issued from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula. Tropical Storm Flossie continues to gain strength off Mexico’s Pacific coastline, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across several southwestern states. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Flossie is expected…
  • cancun-hotels-sargassum-cleanup-failuresCancun Weekly Sargassum Outlook (June 24–30, 2025) Sargassum levels across the Caribbean continue to rise as the 2025 season peaks. Tourists heading to Cancún or Isla Mujeres this week should be prepared for varying beach conditions. Here’s what to expect. 📡 Offshore Conditions Satellite data from the University of South Florida reports the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has reached record levels this…
  • cancun-2025-sargassum-beaches-and-activitiesSargassum won’t ruin your Cancun vacation, there are plenty of clean beaches and tourist activities As the 2025 sargassum season continues through September, visitors to Cancun can still enjoy clear beaches like Playa Delfines and Playa Caracol. As the 2025 sargassum season intensifies across Quintana Roo, tourists are finding it more difficult to enjoy the region’s iconic white-sand beaches without encountering the unsightly brown seaweed. While the influx of sargassum…
  • oregon-murder-fugitive-extradited-puerto-vallartaFugitive Wanted for 2008 Oregon Homicide Captured in Puerto Vallarta and Extradited to U.S. Jesús Rodríguez Borrayo, a fugitive for 17 years, was extradited from Mexico to Oregon for his role in a 2008 drive-by shooting that left one dead. He was located in Puerto Vallarta. A man wanted for murder and other violent crimes in the United States for nearly two decades has been extradited after being found…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • tropical-wave-7-floods-bacalar-chetumal-emergency-responseTropical Wave Floods Bacalar and Chetumal as Navy and Army Activate Emergency Plans Torrential rains from Tropical Wave 7 flood Bacalar and Chetumal, prompting emergency response from the Navy and Army. Several towns remain isolated in southern Quintana Roo. Torrential rains caused by Tropical Wave Number 7 have flooded multiple communities in southern Quintana Roo, prompting a joint emergency response from Mexico’s Navy and Army. Authorities activated their…
Scroll to Top