Seventeen people, including three children, were killed in a Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, authorities said. The attack came a day after US President Donald Trump announced an agreement to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a move that drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials.

Among the victims was a six-year-old girl, whose body was recovered from the rubble of an apartment block reduced to ruins. Her grandfather, Anatoliy Chumniy, expressed his grief at the scene. In total, 18 others were reported wounded in the early morning assault on the industrial city, located less than 30 kilometers from the active front line.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack, linking it directly to the US decision to ease diesel sanctions on Russia. "Today, Russia said thank you for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia," he said. The strike marked the third major civilian casualty incident in Ukraine over the past week.

On Wednesday and Thursday, nearly 80 civilians were killed in Russian bombardments, including at least 30 in the eastern city of Kramatorsk and 22 in Pryluky, located about 120 kilometers east of Kyiv. In Zaporizhzhia, senior local official Mykhailo Semikin reported simultaneous hits on multiple locations during the early hours of Saturday.

Rescue workers continued to pull survivors from the destroyed buildings, with accounts of trapped and injured residents being freed from the debris. Residents expressed both grief and anger over the destruction. Local resident Nataliya Malysheva, whose parents later died in hospital following the attack, questioned the ongoing toll on civilian lives and infrastructure.

The city of Zaporizhzhia, which had a prewar population exceeding 700,000, has experienced frequent Russian bombardment, intensifying over recent months. Zelenskiy suggested that Russia interpreted any reduction in sanctions as a signal to continue its attacks, calling for stronger international responses.

Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon, a missile struck a restaurant in Kyiv, injuring seven people. Russian drones were reportedly active over the capital throughout the day amid what has been described as the heaviest bombardment since the conflict began.

Trump’s move to lift diesel sanctions came as the administration sought ways to lower rising fuel prices amid tensions related to US-Iran relations. Ukraine had urged the United States to increase pressure on Russia instead, aiming to push Moscow toward meaningful negotiations to end the more than four-year conflict.

The US president has criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, claiming they have contributed to global energy price increases. Kyiv, however, has called for a cessation of all energy-related attacks by both sides, citing the severe damage Russia has inflicted on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.

Parts of Kyiv and its surrounding areas were left without electricity on Saturday, causing metro services to halt for the second time in a week. The escalation coincided with ongoing discussions held on Friday in Miami between Ukrainian, European, and American officials, intended to develop a coordinated peace proposal.

Trump announced the diesel export deal during these talks, surprising Ukrainian negotiators, according to Zelenskiy. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking after a call with Trump, indicated a swift resumption of peace talks was unlikely, citing Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow.

Separately, Russian-backed authorities in the Luhansk region reported that Ukrainian attacks had killed four civilians and wounded five others. Reuters was unable to independently verify this claim, and there was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.