Russian strikes in Eastern Ukraine kills 11, regional authorities say

A series of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday killed at least 11 people including three children, regional authorities announced. “People continue to be searched for under the rubble of destroyed houses. Rescue operations continue,” said Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of Zaporizhzhia regional military administration in a Telegram post. The Ukrainian authorities say Russia targeted residential neighborhoods in the city and hit two residential buildings, according to an AFP report. The strike took place just one day after Ukrainian officials met with European and U. S. officials in Miami on Oct, 9 in a fresh diplomatic push to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On Friday, U. S. President Donald Trump also announced he would temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel in a bid to bring soaring prices down. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the deal on Friday and accused Trump of using the peace talks as a “smokescreen” while pursuing a deal with the Kremlin. “This night was another confirmation that Russia perceives any easing of pressure as a signal that it is supposedly possible to continue fighting, that it is supposedly possible to drop bombs on cities,” Zelenskyy said, commenting on the strikes on Zaporizhzhia Saturday morning.