“Russia thanked Trump for lifting sanctions with five air bombs”: Zelensky reported 12 dead in Zaporizhzhia, including three children

On October 10, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported 12 deaths as a result of a Russian airstrike on Zaporizhzhia. Among them were three children. Another 14 people were injured, two are in serious condition. According to the president, Russian troops dropped five guided aerial bombs on residential buildings in the city. Zelensky linked the attack to the US decision to ease sanctions on the export of Russian diesel fuel, announced the day before by Donald Trump.

Author: Stas Shifer

“Today, Russia thanked for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five KABs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” wrote the Ukrainian president.

Five aerial bombs, a destroyed house, and people under the rubble

The Russian attack occurred on the night of Saturday, October 10. In Zaporizhzhia, guided aerial bombs hit residential areas. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the entrance of a three-story apartment building was destroyed, neighboring buildings and private homes were damaged. Fires broke out.

KAB is a guided aerial bomb equipped with a guidance system. Such munitions are used by Russian aviation for strikes at a distance from the line of direct contact with troops. Zaporizhzhia is a major industrial city in southeastern Ukraine, regularly subjected to Russian shelling.

The number of casualties changed as the rescue operation progressed. The National Police of Ukraine reported that as of 10:15, eight people had died, including three children, and 16 were injured. Another 14 people could be under the rubble.

In a subsequent statement, Zelensky mentioned 12 dead, 14 injured, and reported that the fate of another 12 people was being clarified. According to him, two of the injured were in serious condition. These figures relate to different operational reports, not the final results of the search.

13 regions of Ukraine were under attack

The night attack was not limited to Zaporizhzhia. Zelensky reported strikes on 13 Ukrainian regions, damage to residential buildings, transport infrastructure, and railway facilities.

In Korosten, Zhytomyr region, a Russian strike hit a transport infrastructure facility. According to rescuers, a fire started, and one person was injured.

In the Bucha district of Kyiv region, three people were injured after a drone attack. All three were hospitalized, regional authorities reported.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported 160 Russian drones of various types launched overnight. Of these, 110, according to Ukrainian data, were jet-powered.

For NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, the sequence of events is significant: the large-scale Russian strike followed shortly after Washington’s decision to ease some restrictions on Russian fuel exports.

What happened on October 9: Trump’s agreement with Putin

The day before, on October 9, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Vladimir Putin regarding the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the American and world markets.

According to the terms published by Trump, Russia must immediately provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel, another 500,000 tons in November, then one million tons and additional volumes. The US Treasury issued a temporary license easing restrictions on the supply of Russian diesel fuel until April 2027.

The decision was explained by the desire to increase fuel supply and curb price growth. However, for Ukraine, the problem lies elsewhere: the export of energy resources brings income to the Russian budget, while restrictions on such supplies are part of international pressure on Moscow.

Even before the night strike, Zelensky criticized the agreement, calling it a weak decision by strong partners. At the same time, American representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were negotiating with the Ukrainian side in Miami about possible ways to end the war.

“In Russia, any easing of pressure is perceived as a signal”

After the strike on Zaporizhzhia, Zelensky continued this political line. The president stated that in Moscow, the easing of international pressure is seen as evidence of the possibility to continue the war and strike Ukrainian cities.

In his conviction, Russia must feel real losses from continuing aggression. He separately mentioned Ukrainian long-range capabilities, ensuring strikes on targets at a significant distance, and warned that responses to Russian attacks would follow.

At the same time, it is necessary to separate the established chronology and political assessment. The diesel agreement was indeed announced on October 9, and the Russian attack occurred on the night of October 10. But the claim that the American decision was the reason for the specific strike on Zaporizhzhia is not confirmed by independent evidence. Zelensky used this sequence of events to criticize the change in sanctions policy.

Why this story concerns Israel

For the Israeli audience, the energy component of the dispute is especially understandable against the backdrop of the Middle East crisis. The war around Iran, risks to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and rising global fuel prices have become part of the circumstances Washington refers to when explaining the search for additional diesel supplies.

At the same time, Israel has its own experience of diplomatic reaction to Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian targets. After the death of a 14-year-old Israeli in Kyiv on September 25, the Israeli Foreign Ministry directly condemned the Russian attacks. The editorial previously detailed the history of such statements in the article “How Israel Condemned Russian Strikes on Ukraine Since 2022”.

Thus, the issue simultaneously concerns the safety of the civilian population of Ukraine, American energy policy, and the effectiveness of international sanctions. In the Israeli context, it is also a question of how the economic decisions of major powers affect the ability to contain military aggression.

What is known at the time of publication

At the center of events on October 10 remains Zaporizhzhia. The President of Ukraine reported 12 dead, three of whom were children, and 14 injured. Search and rescue operations continued, and the fate of another 12 people was being clarified.

On the same day, Zelensky demanded to maintain pressure on Russia and warned of further Ukrainian retaliatory actions.

The Washington-Moscow diesel agreement has already been announced, but its real economic consequences have yet to be assessed. For the families of those killed in Zaporizhzhia, political explanations do not change the main thing: Saturday morning began with a destroyed residential building, rescuers under the rubble, and news of the death of children.