Sloviansk: Dozens of civilians were killed or injured in a Russian missile attack Monday on a crowded shopping mall in downtown Kremenchuk, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the number of casualties was “unthinkable”, citing reports that more than 1,000 civilians were inside at the time of the attack.
Footage from the scene showed huge plumes of black smoke rising from a shopping mall engulfed in flames, as emergency crews rushed in and onlookers crashed. According to the regional governor of Ukraine, at least 16 people were killed and more than 59 injured. Zelenskyy said the goal “presents no threat to the Russian military” and “has no strategic value”. He accused Russia of undermining “the people’s efforts to lead a normal life, which is what makes the occupiers very angry.”
The alleged Russian missile attack echoes earlier attacks in the war that have caused many civilian casualties – such as one in March at a theater in Mariupol, where many civilians live. shelter, killing about 600 people and another in April on a train station. in the east of Kramatorsk left at least 59 dead. “Russia continues to assert its impotence against civilians. It is useless to expect decency and humanity from him,” Zelenskyy said. Mayor Vitaliy Maletskiy wrote on Facebook that the attack “affected a densely populated area, which he is 100% sure has no connection to the armed forces.”
The attack comes as Russia launches an all-out assault on Ukraine’s last stronghold in Luhansk province, eastern Ukraine, “opening fire” on the town of Lysychansk from the ground and from the air, according to the local governor. Russian forces appear to be stepping up an offensive to capture the eastern Donbass region from Ukraine after forcing government troops out of the nearby town of Sievierodonetsk in recent days.
Meanwhile, Western leaders have pledged to continue supporting Kyiv. According to Secretary-General of the military alliance Jens Stoltenberg, NATO will agree to provide additional military assistance to Ukraine – including secure communications and anti-drone systems – when its leaders meet. together in Spain to attend the summit.
On Monday, west of Lysychansk, the mayor of the town of Sloviansk – potentially the next major battleground – said Russian forces had fired cluster munitions into the town after dawn, including one that hit the area. residential.
Authorities said the number of dead and injured has yet to be confirmed.
The AP news agency witnessed one death: The body of a man lay collapsed on the doorframe of a car, his blood pooling on the floor from injuries to his chest and head. The explosion blew out most of the windows of surrounding buildings and parked cars below, littering the floor with shards of broken glass.
“Everything is now destroyed. We were the only ones alive in this part of the building. There is no electricity,” said local resident Valentina Vitkovska in tears as she spoke about the explosion. “I couldn’t even call to tell other people what had happened to us.”
Overall, Zelenskyy’s office said at least six civilians were killed and 31 others wounded in heavy Russian shelling of various Ukrainian cities over the past 24 hours – including Kyiv and major cities from the south and east of the country, but not to mention. Kremenchuk bombing. He said Russian forces fired rockets that killed two people and wounded five overnight in Kharkiv and near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and continued to target the key southern port from Odessa. A missile strike destroyed residential buildings and injured six people, including a child, he added. The regional governor said that in Lysychansk, at least five high-rise buildings in the city and the last road bridge were damaged in the past day. A key highway linking the city with government-controlled territory to the south was hampered by bombings.
The city had a pre-war population of about 100,000, of which about a tenth remained. Analysts say Lysychansk’s location on the banks of the River Siverskiy Donets gives the city a major advantage to the city’s Ukrainian defenders. “It’s a very difficult particle to break,” said military analyst Oleh Zhdanov. The Russians could take months and efforts to attack Lysychansk. continue to assist Ukraine “in time of need”.
In a joint statement on Monday after holding a video link meeting with Zelenskyy, the leaders emphasized their “unwavering commitment to support the government and people of Ukraine in courageously defending the sovereignty of Ukraine.” rights and territorial integrity of their country.”
Meanwhile, the US seems ready to heed Zelenskyy’s call to beef up its air defenses after the Russian military attacked Kyiv with long-range missiles on Sunday. Washington has announced the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Ukraine. The UK Ministry of Defense says Russia is likely to become increasingly dependent on reserves in the coming weeks of the war. Analysts say Russia’s call for reservists could dramatically change the balance of war, but could also have political consequences for President Vladimir Putin’s government.
