Russian Strikes Kill 8 Including 3 Children in Zaporizhzhia

By GlobalDeskNews Staff | October 10, 2026

Russian airstrikes on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia early Saturday killed at least eight people, including three children, regional officials said. The death toll rose through the morning as rescuers pulled survivors and bodies from two residential buildings hit by guided aerial bombs — a day after President Donald Trump announced a surprise diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, and hours after eight hours of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Miami.

What we know about the Zaporizhzhia strikes

The toll climbed as Saturday wore on. Early in the morning, Mykhailo Semikin, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, reported seven dead on Telegram. Hours later, Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the region's defense council, confirmed the worse figure: "The death toll from the air strikes on Zaporizhzhia has risen to eight. Among them are three children."

Fedorov said at least 16 were wounded and 12 were missing. "There may still be people trapped under the rubble. Rescue workers are continuing their search," he added. An AFP correspondent at the scene watched emergency services pulling people from the debris.

Ukrainian national police said Russia had hit residential neighborhoods with five guided aerial bombs in the early hours, striking two buildings — the same weapon type used in this week's glide-bomb attack in Kramatorsk. Zaporizhzhia sits a few dozen kilometers from the front line; the Associated Press reports more than 55 people killed across Ukraine in the past four days alone.

A day after Trump's diesel deal with Putin

On Friday, Trump announced on social media that he had struck a deal with Putin: Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons "immediately thereafter," and another 3 million tons "within a short period of time" — framed as a move to lower fuel prices before November's U.S. midterms.

Kyiv reacted with fury. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia would repay the deal "with further terror and perfidy," calling it "a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners." The announcement reversed the sweeping Russia sanctions law Trump signed last month, aimed at choking the oil and gas revenues funding Moscow's war. As GlobalDeskNews reported, the deal was announced during a call Trump had supposedly scheduled to discuss a suspected plague case in Russia.

The Miami talks and the "smokescreen" row

Trump announced the deal while his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting Ukrainian officials in Miami on a war-ending proposal. "I believe our team is simply being used as a smoke screen. And that is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other," Zelenskyy said.

An Axios report Saturday, relayed by Ukrinform, revealed the dispute behind the deal. A U.S. official said Trump acted after Zelensky refused to unilaterally halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries — ignoring "half a dozen U.S. requests." Those refinery strikes have been one of Ukraine's most effective campaigns: they triggered an energy crisis inside Russia, Moscow banned diesel exports in response, and the shock rippled into global markets already strained by the war in Iran, helping push oil prices above $105 a barrel. Trump wants the strikes stopped because they feed U.S. gasoline prices, and he does not treat them as equivalent to Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy's counter-offer: Ukraine halts the refinery strikes if Russia stops hitting Ukrainian power plants — a pause must be reciprocal. One claim from the talks is disputed: a Ukrainian official said the envoys warned Trump could cut U.S. intelligence sharing over the refinery demands; a U.S. official denied it. The session also covered a postwar package — reconstruction financing, military development, budget support, an EU accession roadmap, and a possible Europe-Russia security framework — as India's three-part peace plan shows other powers circling too. Zelenskyy told Axios the deal blindsided him, calling it "not fair and not honest."

Overnight fire at a Russian oil terminal

Overnight, a large fire broke out at the Yug Rusi oil-loading terminal in Rostov-on-Don amid a reported drone attack, per footage from the Exilenova+ monitoring channel. An OSINT analyst at the independent Russian outlet ASTRA identified the facility from resident footage; it handles petroleum exports, including shipments from the Novoshakhtinsk refinery Ukraine says it struck on Sept. 25.

The caveats matter. The Kyiv Independent, which reported the fire, could not verify the footage or the damage. Russian authorities acknowledged a fire but confirmed no damage to the terminal, and Ukrainian officials have not claimed responsibility. Treat claims of Ukrainian involvement as unconfirmed.

Why it matters

• Civilians are paying for a diplomatic breakdown — eight dead, three of them children, in apartment buildings, hours after peace talks and on the back of 55+ deaths in four days.
• The U.S.–Ukraine rift is now public — a diesel deal with Moscow announced mid-talks, "smokescreen" accusations, and a disputed intelligence threat: the sharpest Washington–Kyiv strain in months.
• Energy is the war's diplomatic center — refinery strikes, diesel exports, gasoline prices, and sanctions sit on one table, with Trump's midterm politics in the mix.
• The refinery standoff has no easy exit — Ukraine demands reciprocity; Trump demands a unilateral halt. That gap is where Miami broke down.

What happens next

Watch the toll first — with 12 still missing, eight may not be final. Then whether Witkoff and Kushner actually travel to Moscow and Kyiv next week as floated; Friday's row may kill the trip. And watch Ukraine's refinery campaign: if strikes like the suspected Rostov hit continue, expect more U.S. pressure and more Russian retaliation on Ukrainian cities — the cycle Zelenskyy says the diesel deal will only prolong.

Key Takeaways

• Russian guided bombs hit two residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia early Saturday: 8 dead including 3 children, 16 wounded, 12 missing.
• The strikes came a day after Trump's diesel deal with Putin (300,000 tons immediately, up to 4.8 million total) and eight hours of Miami peace talks.
• Axios: Trump made the deal after Zelensky refused a unilateral halt to Ukrainian refinery strikes; Zelensky offered a reciprocal halt tied to Russian attacks on power plants.
• Zelensky called the deal "not fair and not honest," an unjustified gift to Putin, and said his team was used as a "smoke screen."
• The overnight Yug Rusi terminal fire in Rostov-on-Don is unverified; Russia acknowledged the fire, Ukraine has claimed nothing.
• Witkoff and Kushner may visit Moscow and Kyiv next week, though the Miami dispute clouds those plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people were killed in the Zaporizhzhia strikes?

At least eight, including three children, per Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the region's defense council. Regional military administration head Mykhailo Semikin had earlier reported seven on Telegram; the toll rose as rescuers worked through Saturday morning, and 12 people remain missing.

What weapons did Russia use?

Ukrainian national police said Russia hit residential neighborhoods in the city with five guided aerial bombs early Saturday morning, striking two residential buildings. Guided aerial bombs have featured heavily in Russia's recent strikes on eastern Ukrainian cities, including this week's deadly Kramatorsk attack.

What is the Trump–Putin diesel deal?

On Friday, Trump announced that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons "immediately thereafter," and 3 million more "within a short period of time" — framed as a move to cut fuel prices before the U.S. midterms.

Why did Trump make the deal, per Axios?

A U.S. official said Trump acted after Zelensky refused to unilaterally halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, ignoring "half a dozen U.S. requests." Trump believes the strikes lift U.S. gasoline prices and does not treat them as equivalent to Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Was the Rostov oil terminal fire a Ukrainian strike?

Unconfirmed. A fire broke out at the Yug Rusi terminal overnight amid a reported drone attack, identified via OSINT analysis of resident footage. But the footage and damage are unverified, Russian authorities confirmed only that a fire occurred, and Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.

What did Zelenskyy say about the deal?

He warned Russia would repay it "with further terror and perfidy," called it "a weak decision" by strong partners, told Axios it was "not fair and not honest," and said his negotiators were "simply being used as a smoke screen" during the Miami talks.

Sources

• AFP via Arab News Pakistan, updated Oct. 10, 2026 — arabnews.pk
• AP via Reflector, Oct. 10, 2026 — reflector.com
• Axios via Ukrinform, Oct. 10, 2026 — ukrinform.net
• Kyiv Independent, Oct. 10, 2026 — ukrinform.net — correction: use the Kyiv Independent link for this source: https://kyivindependent.com/major-fire-reported-at-oil-terminal-linked-to-russias-novoshakhtinsk-refinery-after-suspected-drone-strike/

GlobalDeskNews Staff — Global Desk News