Ukrainian firefighters put out a fire after a strike in Zaporizhzhia on Oct. 6. Photo: Marina Moiseyenko/AFP via Getty Images
Russian forces on Thursday fired seven missiles into residential buildings in the city of Zaporizhzhia, home to Europe's largest nuclear power station, the New York Times reported.
Driving the news: At least one person has died but rescuers have recovered 21 people from the rubble so far, Zaporizhzhia regional Gov. Oleksandr Starukh wrote in a Telegram post.
- So far 12 people have been injured, he added in a later Telegram post.
- "The terrorist country has shown its beastly face by converting defense weapons into offensive weapons and killing peacefully sleeping people."
State of play: The missiles were launched in two attacks: one before daybreak and another in the morning, per Reuters.
- Russian forces also targeted five other cities in Ukraine on Thursday, including Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, the Guardian reported.
- The attacks come as Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, heads to Ukraine to discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
The big picture: Zaporizhzhia has become a flashpoint of international concern in recent months, as intermittent shelling has sparked fears potential nuclear disaster.
- Zaporizhzhia is also one of four regions in Ukraine recently annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- The Ukrainian counteroffensive has made swift progress, forcing Russian units this week to retreat in the Kherson and Donetsk regions.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with more details.