2 killed, 7 injured in Russian attack

Two people were killed and seven others injured in the Russian attack in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said, CNN reported.

Klymenko said, "Initially, there was information about three dead. Fortunately, one person was resuscitated. Police paramedics assisted the doctors at the scene."

"Rescuers quickly extinguished the fire in the outbuilding. The police conducted door-to-door checks of the residential buildings. No one was found dead or injured. People who are injured were outside at the time of a strike," he added.

Ihor Klymenko said an air raid alert is now in effect in Zaporizhzhia. He called on the people to not neglect safety rules, according to CNN.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said three people were killed in the attack. He said that the rescue operation was being carried out and the victims will be provided with the necessary assistance.

In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy said, "The rescue operation is underway. All victims will be provided with the necessary assistance. And this war crime of Russia will certainly face its sentence. And the response to Russian terrorists will be on the frontline - thanks to our heroic warriors," according to CNN.

In his late address to the nation on Wednesday, the Ukraine President said, "Today, Russian terrorists hit Zaporizhzhia again - an ordinary building was hit, a church and a residential building were damaged," according to the statement released by the Ukrainian President's office.

"As of now, unfortunately, it is known that there are dead...there are wounded. My condolences to the families and friends who have lost their loved ones," he added.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs more air defence systems. He was quoted as saying in an official statement, "Step by step, we are turning this much more into concrete capabilities of our Air Force, our anti-aircraft gunners, our mobile firing brigades. We are also preparing more specifics on modern fighters for our warriors: I have no doubt that F-16s will be in our skies."

Yurii Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia region military administration, said the number of those wounded in the attack "may increase as windows in many apartments were smashed and glass shattered," according to CNN report.

Malashko added that a church and retail outlets were among the buildings that were destroyed in the attack.