KYIV, Ukraine – At least 25 people were killed in a wave of overnight and early morning Russian airstrikes across Ukraine, in one of the deadliest single days of civilian targeting in recent months.
The attacks struck a prison, a hospital, and a humanitarian aid queue, sparking global outrage and renewed calls for sanctions against Moscow.
The deadliest strike hit a prison facility in Bilenke, Zaporizhzhia region, where four Russian glide bombs struck the compound just before midnight, according to Ukraine’s Justice Ministry.
Sixteen inmates were killed and over 50 others injured — 44 of whom required hospitalization.
The blasts reportedly destroyed the penitentiary’s dining hall, administrative block, and quarantine wing.
“This is a grave breach of international humanitarian law,” said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, adding that prisoners retain their right to life and protection even in conflict zones.
Elsewhere, five civilians were killed in a missile attack on the village of Novoplatonivka in Kharkiv region as they queued outside a local shop for humanitarian aid.
Images released by Ukrainian authorities showed bodies lying near the remains of the shattered store.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, another missile hit a hospital in Kamianske, killing three people — including a 23-year-old pregnant woman named Diana. A fourth person was reported killed in a separate strike nearby.
“These are not military targets. These are war crimes,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky in a national address. “Russia must be forced to stop the killings and make peace — and that starts with tough sanctions.”
Zelensky welcomed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Monday warned Moscow that it had “10 or 12 days” to agree to a ceasefire or face a new wave of sanctions.
Trump’s ultimatum, delivered during a visit to Scotland, is expected to be formalized imminently.
Earlier this month, Trump had issued a 50-day deadline for the Kremlin to halt its invasion or face severe economic repercussions. However, the latest strikes indicate that Russia is continuing its offensive unabated.
The attacks also coincided with Moscow’s claims that Russian forces are advancing deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Over the weekend, the Kremlin said it had seized the village of Maliivka in Dnipropetrovsk — a claim Ukraine strongly disputes.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted southern Russia overnight.
In the Rostov region, one man was killed in his car in the town of Salsk after a drone strike set a freight train ablaze. Another civilian was killed in the Belgorod border region, and his wife injured.
