Russian Strikes Hit Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy, Injuring 11

Russia lauched drones and guided aerial bombs across multiple Ukrainian regions on Saturday evening, July 4, targeting civilian infrastructure and resulting in injuries.

Apartment building damaged in Zaporizhzhia

On the evening of July 4, Russian forces launched at least five strikes on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, reported that the attack severely damaged a multi-story residential building, destroying a section of the exterior wall from the first to the fifth floor. The strike also damaged nearby parked vehicles and critical municipal infrastructure.

According to preliminary reports, at least three people were injured in the attack, including a child.

Supermarket struck in Kramatorsk

Russian forces also struck civilian centers during the day on Saturday. In the eastern Donetsk region, a strike hit a supermarket in the center of Kramatorsk at 4:05 p.m. local time.

According to the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the attack utilized a FAB-250 aerial bomb equipped with a unified gliding and correction module (UMPK).

The strike injured at least five civilians, including an 11-year-old boy. The other victims include three women aged 36, 38, and 62, and a 56-year-old man.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) reported that the blast ignited a massive fire covering 1,300 square meters, which rescue crews subsequently managed to extinguish by late evening. Authorities are still determining the full extent of the damage.

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Gas station hit in Sumy

Also on Saturday evening, Russian troops targeted a gas station in the northeastern city of Sumy.

The DSNS reported that the strike sparked a fire at the facility, posing a severe risk of further ignition. Rescue teams successfully extinguished all active fires despite the threat of secondary strikes.

Serhiy Kryvosheienko, head of the Sumy City Military Administration, stated that three women, aged 20, 47, and 55, sustained injuries in the attack. He noted that their condition is satisfactory and they are receiving outpatient treatment following medical examinations.

Air Force intercepts over 110 aerial targets

The intense regional strikes culminated in a large-scale nationwide aerial assault overnight into Sunday, July 5. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that defense forces successfully intercepted or suppressed 115 Russian aerial targets during the attack.

According to the military’s statement, Russian forces launched a barrage consisting of 125 strike and decoy drones – including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and “Parodiya” variants – from multiple directions, including Bryansk, Orel, Shatalovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, as well as from occupied territories in the Donetsk region and Crimea.

The attack also involved one Kh-31 anti-radiation missile launched from the Black Sea and three Kh-59/69 guided aviation missiles fired from the airspace over the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region.

As of 8:00 a.m. local time on July 5, Ukrainian air defenses – comprising aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare (EW) units, and mobile fire groups – shot down or neutralized 112 of the incoming drones across the northern, southern, and eastern regions. The military confirmed the interception of all three Kh-59/69 missiles, while the Kh-31 missile failed to reach its intended target.

The Air Force noted that four drones managed to bypass defenses, striking targets in three locations, while falling debris was recorded at eight other sites.

Weekend spate of attacks

The Saturday evening attacks followed a concentrated series of strikes that began on Friday, affecting several other regions. On Saturday morning, a ballistic missile strike targeted a private enterprise in the Dnipro, injuring seven individuals aged between 21 and 63.

On Friday, July 3, Russian forces struck a DTEK mine administration facility is Dnipropetrovsk region mine. The energy group reported that a security guard was killed and five other employees were injured.

The strike caused a power outage, temporarily trapping 86 miners underground before they were safely evacuated. Operations at the enterprise have been suspended as crews assess the extensive damage.

In Poltava, on the afternoon of July 4, Russian drones struck an industrial enterprise and an energy facility, temporarily leaving approximately 600 consumers without electricity.