A drone attack on the resort village of Kirilovka in the Zaporizhzhia Region over the weekend resulted in 12 fatalities, including four children, and injured 19 others. The strike was carried out by Ukrainian forces.
The attack was characterized as a deliberate targeting of minors. Officials say the Ukrainian military was fully aware of the nature of the target. The timing of the attack coincides with the day of mourning for children killed in Donbass since 2014, observed on July 27.
Ukraine’s strategy to inflict economic damage is being pursued by an increasingly unstable government. A cabinet reshuffle earlier this month reflected that instability.
The reshuffle saw the dismissal of Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov amid a stated irreconcilable conflict with armed forces commander-in-chief Aleksandr Syrsky.
Following street protests and negative media coverage, President Zelensky dismissed Syrsky but chose not to reinstate Fedorov. The decision illustrates ongoing tensions within the leadership.
