Kiev, 23 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Sixteen people were injured in a Russian airstrike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya, the local authorities said on Monday morning.

It was reportedly the first time that the city had been targeted with so-called glide bombs, according to Ukrainian media reports.

The overnight attack damaged 13 residential buildings, two kindergartens, and several cars, the Ukrainian police confirmed.

Russian fighter jets drop glide bombs near the front lines. The munitions are then guided to their targets over a distance of dozens of kilometres. These bombs, carrying several hundred kilograms of explosives, have caused significant damage in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and other locations.

To counter these attacks, Ukraine is requesting permission to use Western weapons against Russian airbases near the front lines.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia also deployed four combat drones overnight. Three of them were reportedly shot down.

MIA file photo