An overnight attack struck holiday camps in Kyrylivka, a Russian-held area in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region near the Azov Sea coast, on July 25, killing between 8 and 11 people, including 2 to 4 children, according to varying reports [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The number of wounded ranges from 14 to 16, with some reports noting 3 children among the injured [1, 2, 3, 4].
Russian-appointed governor Yevgeny Balitsky accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting civilians in Kyrylivka. Balitsky said, "The enemy saw and understood who it was targeting," and claimed Ukraine "deliberately" struck the holiday camps [1, 4]. Kyiv did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the attack [1, 2, 3, 5].
Deaths reported differ by source. Russian sources report 11 fatalities including 4 children, while others cite 8 deaths including 2 children [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. There is a similar discrepancy over injuries, with some saying 14 wounded including 3 children and others saying 16 wounded [1, 2, 3, 4]. Both Russia and Ukraine deny intentionally targeting civilians in their ongoing conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 [1, 2, 3].
On the same day, Ukraine claimed drone strikes on the Russian Filanovsky oil platform in the Caspian Sea and a refinery in Siberia [2, 5]. The conflict also involved Russian drones hitting a civilian facility in Ukraine's Sumy region, causing a fire that killed three private postal drivers [3]. Romanian forces shot down a drone near their border with Ukraine. Romanian President Nicusor Dan said the drone was “shot down by a Romanian pilot from an F-16 aircraft” [3].
The incident in Kyrylivka is among the deadliest recent attacks on civilian locations in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. The next developments in the conflict are expected as both sides carry out strikes in various regions, including maritime and border areas [1, 2, 3, 5].
