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Russia continues to bombard eastern Ukraine in its attempt to take full control of the Donbass region. The death toll from the attack on a residential building this weekend in Chasiv Yar rose to at least 31 dead. Moscow has also massed tanks outside Kharkiv and is attacking Ukraine’s second largest city.
In the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Russian army shelled a 5-story residential building in Chasiv Yar, a small town in Donetsk.
An official from the Ukrainian Presidency announced on Monday that the number of fatalities had already risen to 31. Emergency teams have been deployed since Sunday and are trying to remove the survivors who are still under the rubble. They have saved nine people but the balance of deceased could rise in the coming hours.
The residential building was completely destroyed and the properties located next to it were also affected by the attack. This Monday, the inhabitants were still at the scene to try to recover their personal belongings and took stock of their losses.
Constant bombing in the east
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Monday that “high-precision weapons (had) destroyed the temporary positions” of a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in Chasiv Yar.
The Ukrainian General Staff said the east of the country was under constant bombardment as Moscow aims to seize the entire Donetsk region, having claimed earlier this month that it controls Lugansk, the other province that forms Donbass.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 34 airstrikes since Saturday. “Russia” has, unfortunately, a great advantage in artillery,” the president said on Monday, adding, “With all the partners who are willing to give support, I speak of artillery. Indeed, there is not enough.”
The Kharkiv region under fire from the Russian army
The Kharkiv region also continues to be the target of Russian attacks. This Monday, an attack left at least 5 dead and 31 injured, including two children, according to the regional governor, Oleh Synehoubov. Residential areas were hit, the Ukrainian Presidency said.
“Kharkiv faced new brutal attacks from the Russian army. Another missile hit a residential building: one block was completely destroyed. In the morning, the occupiers bombarded the neighborhoods of Saltiv and Kyiv with rocket artillery. Five people were killed,” Zelensky reported Monday.
The Russian Defense Ministry denies targeting civilians, explaining that Russian forces had attacked areas where Ukrainian troops and foreign fighters were deployed in the Kharkiv region.
Further south, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Verechtchuk on Sunday urged civilians to evacuate the city of Kherson, where Ukrainian forces are continuing their counteroffensive.
UN to investigate murder and injury of children in Ukraine
This Monday, the UN annual report called ‘Children and armed conflict’ came out. The head of the organization, António Guterres, announced on the occasion that UN officials will investigate the murder and injury of children in Ukraine, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Special Envoy for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba said the two most worrying violations to emerge from the conflict in Ukraine were the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals.
According to Michelle Bachelet, the UN’s human rights chief, since February 24, 4,889 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, including 335 children, with the real number likely much higher.
The report on children and armed conflict includes a blacklist intended to shame parties to the conflict in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children.
with Reuters
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