At least four people were killed and 19 injured in a Russian missile strike that “destroyed” a private clinic in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia earlier today, according to the latest official tally.

The attack took place in the early afternoon and hit “civilian infrastructure” in the center of the city, regional governor Ivan Fyodorov said on Telegram.

In the latest report released tonight by the police, it is stated that at least four people were killed and 19 were injured, among them a five-year-old child. It is pointed out that they may still be trapped under the ruins of the clinic.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned “the brutal attack” by Russian forces, which also damaged buildings in close proximity to the private clinic. He once again called on the West to supply Ukraine with more air defense systems, including US Patriots. “We don’t have enough such systems to protect our country from Russian missiles, but our partners have such systems,” Zelensky said.

In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its attacks in southern Ukraine. On Friday, ten people were killed by a Russian strike in Zaporizhia.

Ukrainian analysts believe that Russian forces may be preparing a large-scale operation on the southern front, especially in the Zaporizhia region, where the positions of the warring parties have remained almost unchanged for months. This would greatly test the Ukrainian army, which is already under pressure on the eastern front, while at the same time its forces still control part of the Russian Kursk region.

In the morning, the Ukrainian authorities announced that three people were killed and at least 17 were wounded in the previous 24 hours in Russian shelling in the regions of Donetsk (east) and Kherson (south).

In Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, residents of Rydkondub village told AFP reporters that they live in fear of Russian missile and drone attacks. “We want this to stop as soon as possible so that people can live in peace. So many have died and it’s especially sad when we see children killed,” said 71-year-old Ludmila Kovacs. He wished that the negotiations to end the war would not be delayed, but explained that he feared that “by then, there might not be anyone left alive” in the village.