At least two people were killed and seven others injured after Russian armed forces launched a series of attacks on Zaporizhzhia on Friday, July 3.
Russian armed forces used guided aerial bombs to hit local enterprises and other civilian infrastructure, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration. Separately, he confirmed that shelling at various locations across Zaporizhzhia injured 17 people, including an 11-year-old child.
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The oldest injured victim was 76, while two people were in serious condition and all were receiving medical assistance.
“Russian guided bombs attacked one of the industrial enterprises. The premises were damaged,” Fedorov said, adding that “the number of injured from Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia continues to rise.”
The enemy has once again proven that its targets are civilians,” he said regarding the attack on civilians. The injured sustained shrapnel wounds, with two people in serious condition. All were receiving medical assistance
Civilians targeted in daytime attack
Two women were injured in a separate daytime strike while walking on a city street earlier on Friday, prompting local authorities to describe the attack as a deliberate strike on civilians.
Residents also reported explosions and smoke over Zaporizhzhia on Friday, with officials confirming that the smoke stemmed from an additional enemy strike on the city.
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Authorities urged residents to remain in shelters and safe locations as the attacks continued.
The pattern of strikes
On July 1, Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia with seven guided aerial bombs, hitting civilian areas as part of a broader overnight assault that also targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region with drones, killing at least three people in total across the two regions.
Ukraine’s air defenses said they intercepted 130 of 151 drones and a Kh-59 missile during that attack.
A Russian attack near Synelnykove in the Dnipropetrovsk region killed a seven-year-old child and injured two other children on Thursday, while separate strikes on Nikopol and Oleksandrivka killed two more civilians.
The attacks came as Ukraine continued mourning victims of Russia’s deadliest Tuesday barrage on Kyiv, which killed at least 30 people and injured 91 others.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Russia’s massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital, warning that strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law and must stop immediately.
Russia mass-deploys AI-enabled attack drones in Zaporizhzhia
According to Ukrainian military technology expert Serhii Beskrestnov, Russia has begun mass-deploying an autonomous, AI-equipped version of its Molniya attack drone in the Zaporizhzhia region.
He said the upgraded drone can operate without human control, warning that “drone detectors no longer save you” since the system’s autonomous operation eliminates the electronic emissions typically used to detect incoming threats.
The new variant reportedly features a reduced radar and infrared signature, making it harder to spot than earlier models. Ukrainian intelligence separately reported that Russia has upgraded other Molniya drones with advanced reconnaissance equipment, including satellite terminals and long-range cameras, underscoring Moscow’s rapid expansion of AI-driven autonomous drone warfare capabilities.
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