Strike on a residential block

Russian forces hit a five-storey residential building in Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs early on Saturday, just after 5am local time. Ukraine's national police said five guided aerial bombs were dropped on residential districts of the regional capital, and two of them hit residential buildings. The death toll rose through the morning, from an initial five dead to 15 according to the state rescue service, then to 17 according to the regional military administration cited by Ukrainska Pravda. The latest update from the State Emergency Service (DSNS) put the dead at 20, three of them children, with 18 people injured. Mykhailo Semikin, head of the regional military administration, said rescuers were still searching for people under the rubble. One woman was pulled alive from the debris after more than eight hours trapped, and DSNS said its psychologists had helped 35 citizens.

State Emergency Service (DSNS), latest update20

Regional military administration, per Ukrainska Pravda17

State rescue service, per AFP15

State Emergency Service (DSNS), latest update

20 deaths

Regional military administration, per Ukrainska Pravda

17 deaths

State rescue service, per AFP

15 deaths

Data from the article text

Diesel deal and Kyiv's response

Trump announced the diesel deal on Friday after a call with Vladimir Putin, under which Moscow would release large amounts of diesel onto global markets in exchange for sanctions relief, according to AFP. Trump said the deal was needed to reduce diesel prices before the November midterm elections, where fuel costs are a key voter issue. Zelensky called the deal a "gift" to Russia's president and told reporters on Friday that it was "unworthy of our partners" and a "weak decision". On Saturday he tied the strike directly to the agreement and said Ukraine would respond to the attacks.

“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said lifting sanctions on Russian diesel would help fuel the Kremlin's war on Ukraine. Germany said it would keep pushing for new EU sanctions on Russia despite the agreement. Kallas wrote online:

“This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won't.”

Kremlin readout and Kyiv outages

The Kremlin readout of the Friday call was far warmer than Kyiv's reaction, with Interfax quoting Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov calling it "very substantive and friendly". Ushakov described the two leaders this way:

“Neither wanted to be the first to hang up.”

DTEK, the country's largest private energy provider, reported large-scale power outages in Kyiv on Saturday caused by Russian strikes. The company wrote on Telegram that no stabilization schedules were currently in force. The Kyiv metro and escalators were temporarily suspended because of outages at external power plants, and water supply problems were also reported in the capital. AFP reporters heard booms over the city.

Overnight attacks and diplomacy

Overnight from Friday to Saturday, Russian forces attacked 13 Ukrainian regions, damaging residential buildings, infrastructure and railway facilities, according to RMF24. Axios reported that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are considering trips to Moscow and Kyiv next week to discuss a peace proposal, though it is unclear how the tensions over the diesel deal may affect their decisions. The strikes came the day after a Miami meeting between Ukrainian and European officials, part of a renewed diplomatic push to end the war. US-led efforts to end the conflict, now more than four and a half years old, remain deadlocked, while Moscow has intensified its bombardment in recent months.