World

Russian attacks on eastern Ukrainian cities kill four

By AAP Newswire

Jun 17, 2026

A building burns after a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine — Dozens of drones have struck the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least one person. -Zaporizhzhia Regional Administration via AP

Russian attacks ‌on cities in Ukraine's east and southeast have killed four people ‌and set ablaze a residence and a shopping centre.

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Prosecutors in the Donetsk region, the focal point of Ukraine's front line, said three people died in two bomb attacks in the city of ‌Sloviansk on Tuesday and five ⁠were injured.

Sloviansk is part of the country's "fortress belt", heavily defended by the military and seen as key to containing a slow-moving Russian offensive in Donetsk.

In the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, national police said a wave ⁠of dozens of ‌drones killed one person in his car and injured seven others.

Pictures posted online ‌showed flames inside a building and on a rooftop and at least one facade reduced to rubble.

Regional governor Ivan Fedorov said there had been five strikes on the city.

He said fire broke out in ‌a residence and a shopping centre, and an educational institution sustained damage.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians in the war that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.