Kyiv: Russian airstrikes across Ukraine on Monday resulted in significant casualties and damage, with Ukrainian officials reporting at least 17 inmates killed and over 80 wounded in a prison attack in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. Separately, authorities in the Dnipro region confirmed at least four people killed and eight injured in a series of fresh assaults.

In Zaporizhzhia, the attack late Monday targeted the Bilenkivska Correctional Colony with four guided aerial bombs. The strike, according to the State Criminal Executive Service of Ukraine, left at least 42 inmates with serious injuries requiring hospitalisation, while an additional 40 individuals, including one staff member, sustained various other wounds. The prison's dining hall was destroyed, and administrative and quarantine buildings were damaged; however, the perimeter fence held, and no escapes were reported. Ukrainian officials swiftly condemned this attack, labelling it a war crime for targeting civilian infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Dnipro region also faced intense bombardment. Missiles struck the city of Kamianske, partially destroying a three-story building and damaging nearby medical facilities, including a maternity hospital and a city hospital ward. This particular attack resulted in two deaths and five injuries, notably including a pregnant woman who is now in serious condition, as reported by regional head Serhii Lysak. Further Russian attacks, utilising FPV drones and aerial bombs, hit communities in the Synelnykivskyi district, killing at least one person and injuring two others. Lysak also reported that Russian forces targeted the Velykomykhailivska community, where a 75-year-old woman was killed and a 68-year-old man was injured.

Overall, Ukraine's Air Force stated that Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles along with 37 Shahed-type strike drones and decoy UAVs. Ukrainian air defences successfully intercepted or neutralised 32 Shahed drones.

With inputs from AP