Twenty-five people have been killed and 20 others injured in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, following a shelling incident attributed to Ukrainian forces. Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed head of the Donetsk region, reported the casualties on Sunday.
The attack reportedly targeted a bustling part of the city, hitting areas near shops and a market. Alexei Kulemzin, the Russian-installed mayor of Donetsk, confirmed the locations that were heavily affected by the shelling.
Photographs and videos from Reuters at the scene captured the immediate aftermath, showing grieving individuals amidst the chaos, with some mourning the loss of their relatives. The visuals depicted bodies strewn across blood-soaked snow near a city market, painting a grim picture of the attack’s impact.
A service member of the Russian armed forces walks past the body of a victim following, what local Russian-installed authorities say, was a Ukrainian military strike at a food market in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, January 21, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko
Pushilin stated that emergency services were swiftly deployed to the site, and forensic specialists were engaged in collecting weapon fragments used in the attack, potentially as evidence.
The incident has escalated tensions in the region, as Donetsk is one of the four areas in eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia claimed to have annexed in late 2022, a move widely condemned as illegal by the majority of countries at the U.N. General Assembly. Russia does not have full control over any of these regions.
This attack comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, now nearly two years in duration. It adds to the list of civilian casualties and destruction that have marked this protracted war. The use of heavy artillery in populated areas raises concerns about the escalating intensity of the conflict and the increasing toll on civilian life.
