At least 15 killed after Russian rockets hit apartment building in Donetsk, local officials say

No less than 15 individuals have been killed and two dozen extra are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey condo block in Ukraine’s Donetsk area, native officers stated on Sunday as rescuers picked by the rubble.

Ukraine additionally reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts within the east and south, whereas Moscow stated its forces struck Ukrainian military hangars storing U.S.-produced M777 howitzers, a kind of artillery, in Donetsk.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donetsk, stated the strike on the condo constructing befell on Saturday night within the city of Chasiv Yar. The regional emergency service stated the demise toll stood at 15 on Sunday afternoon, however 24 extra individuals may nonetheless be beneath the rubble.

“We ran to the basement, there have been three hits, the primary someplace within the kitchen,” stated an area resident who gave her title as Ludmila, talking as rescuers eliminated a physique in a white sheet and cleared rubble utilizing a crane in addition to their palms.

A rescue employee sifts by rubble on the scene after rockets hit an condo block within the city of Chasiv Yar on Saturday night. (Nariman El-Mofty/The Related Press)

“The second [strike], I don’t even keep in mind, there was lightning. We ran towards the second entrance after which straight into the basement. We sat there all evening till this morning.”

Andriy Yermak, chief of employees to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated in a Telegram publish that the strike was “one other terrorist assault,” and that Russia needs to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism consequently.

Russia denies intentionally attacking civilians.


Luhansk and Donetsk provinces comprise the Donbas, Ukraine’s japanese industrial area. Russia needs to wrest management of the Donbas on behalf of the separatists whom it helps.

Moscow says ejecting the Ukrainian army out of the area is central to what it calls its “particular army operation” to make sure its personal safety, an offensive that has lasted for greater than 4 months and which the West calls an unprovoked battle.

Russia says U.S.-made howitzers focused

Russia’s Defence Ministry stated its forces on Saturday had destroyed two hangars close to the Donetsk city of Kostyantynivka, simply southwest of Chasiv Yar. The ministry stated the hangars have been holding the U.S.-made M777 howitzers, which it stated had been used to shell residential areas of Donetsk.

There was no quick response from Ukraine on the declare.

Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions close to the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk however have been compelled to withdraw, Ukraine’s army stated. It additionally stated Russian forces had launched a cruise missile assault on the northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv from their aspect of the border. It gave no particulars of injury or casualties.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, has been focused all through the battle, together with a number of occasions previously week.

A trainer is seen on Sunday eradicating particles from a college that was closely broken by a Russian missile strike final week within the centre of the Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv. (Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty Photographs)

Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai stated Russian forces have been gathering within the space of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 kilometres east of Sloviansk.

“The enemy is … shelling the encompassing settlements, finishing up airstrikes, however it’s nonetheless unable to rapidly occupy the whole Luhansk area,” he stated on Telegram.

Russia claimed management over all of Luhansk province final weekend.

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In Mykolaiv close to the Black Sea, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych reported on Telegram that six Russian missiles have been fired at his metropolis on Saturday however induced no casualties.

“On today alone, Russia hit Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, villages within the Zaporizhzhia area,” Zelensky stated in his nightly video tackle. “It hit residential areas, completely consciously and on function.”

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm battlefield accounts.

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Ukrainian army spokespeople weren’t instantly out there for remark.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to drive it to withdraw.

Within the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions together with ammunition depots within the Chornobaivka space, Ukraine’s army command stated.

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