An airstrike carried out by Russian forces resulted in the deaths of 24 civilians at a pension distribution site in a village located in eastern Ukraine, as confirmed by officials on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Kyiv’s allies to exert more pressure on Moscow to put an end to the ongoing conflict. The attack occurred in the village of Yarova, approximately 24 kilometers away from Sloviansk, and a few kilometers behind the front line.
Russian troops have been advancing aggressively throughout the eastern Donetsk region, with diplomatic attempts to resolve the 3½-year-old war largely stalled. Zelenskyy condemned the airstrike, emphasizing that it directly targeted ordinary civilians during the distribution of pensions.
President Zelenskyy shared video evidence depicting the aftermath of the strike, showing bodies scattered on the ground amidst debris. According to the State Emergency Service, aside from the 24 fatalities, 19 individuals sustained injuries in the attack, all of whom were elderly, as reported by regional governor Vadym Filashkin.
Zelenskyy stressed the urgency for international action, stating, “The world cannot stay silent. The world cannot remain passive. The United States, Europe, and the G20 need to respond.”
While Russia has not officially responded to Zelenskyy’s accusations, Moscow has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians. However, the death toll has continued to rise since the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022.
Despite discussions among European leaders and allies like Canada regarding post-war support for Ukraine, there has been a lack of progress in further negotiations involving Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on August 15.
Despite multiple deadlines set by Trump for Putin to de-escalate the conflict, the White House has not imposed additional sanctions on Russia. Zelenskyy remarked in his address that Moscow perceives the lack of severe international sanctions as a green light to persist with its military actions.
Russia claims deadly drone attack in Sochi
Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry reported on Telegram that its defense systems had intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 15 over the Black Sea. Reuters could not independently verify these claims, and there was no immediate response from Ukraine.
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