Russian airstrikes in southeastern Ukraine killed at least 19 people overnight on July 29, targeting a prison in Zaporizhzhia and a hospital in neighboring Dnipropetrovsk. Among the dead were 16 inmates and three civilians, one of them a 23‑year‑old pregnant woman. President Zelenskiy condemned the attacks as deliberate strikes on civilians, coming just hours after President Trump‘s warning to Russia about a U.S. ultimatum.
At least 16 inmates died and 42 were injured when four high‑explosive bombs struck the dining hall of the Bilenkivska penal colony in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian justice officials reported widespread destruction and scenes of horror, with survivors recounting screams, severe burns, and missing limbs.
Separately, a missile strike on a hospital in the Dnipropetrovsk region claimed three lives, including a pregnant woman, and injured others. This brought Ukraine’s 24‑hour death toll from Russian strikes to 22 across multiple locations.
President Zelenskiy labeled both attacks war crimes and emphasized that Russia knew it was targeting civilian infrastructure. He called for stronger international sanctions and immediate accountability.
President Trump had issued a ten‑day deadline to Russian President Vladimir Putin to make meaningful peace efforts or face punitive tariffs and sanctions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that the military operation would continue undeterred.
U.S. news agencies also report similar casualty figures, with additional deaths in Kharkiv and other regions struck overnight. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted dozens of drones, but explosions and missile hits proceeded in residential and civic zones.
These strikes underscore Russia’s escalating assault deeper behind front lines, intensifying civilian harm in year four of its invasion. Humanitarian agencies warn continued targeting of prisons and hospitals may constitute systematic violations of international law.
