Russia trains sights on schools, offices and buses in busy Ukrainian city
Russian forces have intensified drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, targeting civilian infrastructure including schools and transport. Local residents and officials describe a deteriorating security situation as the city remains close to the front line.
Why it matters
The escalation of attacks on civilian centers in Zaporizhzhia highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the proximity of the conflict to critical nuclear infrastructure.
Image source, Zaporizhzhia regional military administration Image caption, Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia intensified dramatically in June
It was five in the morning when Anna Holovchenko was woken up by glide bombs hitting the suburbs of her home city of Zaporizhzhia in eastern Ukraine.
Security has deteriorated sharply there in a matter of weeks. Zaporizhzhia is a mere 24km (15 miles) from the front line, but is still home to some 750,000 people and the war is feeling closer than ever.
An hour later drones flew over Anna's house in a second wave of attack and Ukrainian air defences tried to bring them down. "I realised I'm not getting any more sleep and started getting ready for work," she said.
Numerous buses, petrol stations, schools, government offices and residential houses have been hit by Russian drones and bombs in recent weeks.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in