VLADIMIR Putin has launched a missile strike on Zaporizhzhia leaving at least 17 people dead including a child and dozens trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The overnight strike appears to be a revenge attack following the huge blast that destroyed Kerch Bridge yesterday.
Anatoliy Kurtev, secretary of Zaporizhzhia city council said rockets struck Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing at least 17 people.
He added that at least five homes were destroyed and around 50 multi-storey buildings were hit in the strike.
The Ukrainian military also confirmed the attack, saying that there were dozens of casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky branded the hit "absolute evil".
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He said on Telegram: "Zaporizhzhia again. Merciless strikes on peaceful people again.
"On residential buildings, just in the middle of the night."
He added that 49 people including six children were in the hospital.
He continued: "Absolute meanness. Absolute evil. Savages and terrorists.
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"From the one who gave this order to everyone who fulfilled this order. They will bear responsibility. For sure. Before the law and before people."
The latest deadly attack follows a massive explosion that wrecked Russia's £3.2billion prized bridge just a day after Putin's birthday.
Kerch Bridge exploded in a mystery fireball, killing three people and damaging an important supply chain for Russia.
The shock explosion set fire to the railway line and blew out a section of a road bridge collapsing it into the depths of the Black Sea.
The exact cause of the explosion remains unknown.
The leading theory is speculation that the blast was triggered by a truck bomb.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack – but has widely celebrated the explosion and previously hinted they would attack the Kerch Bridge.
The hit on the bridge was a massive blow to Putin's war efforts, sparking fears it would trigger a revenge attack.
Western officials warned the Russian leader would seek revenge following the blast on the bridge, while Russian officials said they expected an aggressive response.
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