Ukraine: Attack Strikes Medical Facilities in Zaporizhzhia, Kills 11, Including Medical Staff

In the afternoon on 10 December, what Ukrainian authorities have reported to be a missile launched by the Russian Federation struck a commercial building in Zaporizhzhia city, killing 11 civilians and injuring 22. An HRMMU team visited the site after the attack and confirmed that there were two medical facilities in the building complex that was struck. Several of those killed and injured were employees of one of the medical facilities.

In another recent attack, aerial glide bombs killed 10 civilians, including two girls, and injured 27, including two girls and a boy in Zaporizhzhia city on 6 December. 

HRMMU says the latest attacks fall into a pattern of significantly increasing civilian casualties in Zaporizhzhia. Aerial attacks in the city have intensified since 22 September 2024 when so-called aerial glide bombs launched by Russian armed forces struck the city for the first time. Since then, aerial attacks have killed at least 44 civilians and injured 268 in the city, compared with 16 killed and 84 injured in the nearly 10 months in 2024 before 22 September. 

“In the last three months, attacks have struck residential buildings, shops, and now two medical facilities,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “These attacks in populated areas have resulted in twice the number of civilian casualties in three months than in the entire year of 2023.”