Ivan Fedorov, the Ukrainian-appointed head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration (ZOVA), said Russia launched four glide bombs at the Bilenkivska prison on the night of 28/7. The attack destroyed the dining hall and severely damaged the administrative center and isolation ward.

"The attack killed 17 prisoners and injured 42 others," he said.

Fedorov added that Russia attacked Ukrainian-controlled areas in Zaporizhzhia province eight times that night.

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets criticized the attack as a "war crime," emphasizing that prisoners "still have the right to life and protection."

Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, condemned the incident and called for economic and military measures to "deprive Russia of its ability to wage war."

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information.

This attack comes almost three years after the Russian-controlled Yelenovka prison in Donetsk province was shelled, killing dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Russian military accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting the prison, while Kyiv denied the accusation, claiming Moscow staged the incident.

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four provinces Russia claimed to annex in late 2022, along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson. Russian forces currently control about 70% of Zaporizhzhia province, but Ukraine still holds the eponymous capital city.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command also reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, along with 37 suicide and decoy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The agency claimed air defense units shot down or jammed 32 UAVs. The remaining missiles and aircraft hit three targets, with debris also falling on two other locations.

The Russian attack killed four and injured several others in the central province of Dnipropetrovsk, according to local officials.

Bilenkivska prison after the alleged Russian attack on 29/7. Photo: ZOVA

Russia and Ukraine held their third direct talks in Turkey last week but did not reach any agreement on a ceasefire or the possibility of a direct meeting between the two countries' leaders.

Former US President Donald Trump declared on 28/7 that Russia had 10-12 days left to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, two weeks after issuing an ultimatum that Moscow must reach an agreement to end the war within 50 days or face severe sanctions.

Pham Giang (According to AFP, Ukrainska Pravda, RIA Novosti)