Russia launched multiple missile attacks into the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens in an apparent reprisal for a truck bomb that damaged a Crimean bridge, authorities said Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday blamed Ukraine's special services for the bridge explosion, and he ordered the chairman of his investigative committee, Alexander Bastrykin, to open a criminal case. Bastrykin said some suspects already have been identified.
"There is no doubt this is a terrorist attack aimed at destroying Russia's critically important civilian infrastructure," Putin said. Ukraine officials have hinted involvement in the blast but have not claimed responsibility.
The missile strikes caused one high-rise apartment building to partially collapse and blew out windows in adjacent buildings. The attacks came hours after the explosion Saturday caused partial collapse of the bridge, an important supply artery for the Kremlin’s war effort.
Initially, the city council said 17 had died but later revised the number to 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack on civilians an "absolute evil" and the Russians "savages and terrorists."
Russian authorities had warned of reprisals after the attack on the 12-mile, $3.6 billion Kerch Bridge, a symbol of Moscow’s seizure of Crimea eight years ago. The bridge reopened to rail and limited vehicle traffic Sunday.