At around 10:50 a Russian guided aerial bomb hit the village of Yarova in the Donetsk region on Tuesday morning killing at least 23 civilians and injuring the same number, mostly pensioners.
The attack happened at the time that a Ukrainian postal service (Ukrposhta) van was in the village, which is less than 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the contact line, delivering pensions and mail.
The Ukrposhta CEO, Ihor Smilianskyi, said on Telegram that an employee had been injured in the attack: “Yuliia, the head of our branch, sustained an injury. Thanks to quick help provided by our driver, her life is not at risk; she is already in hospital”
He pointed out that the procedure for distributing pensions to frontline areas had been agreed with the local authorities as a balance between security and the need to ensure residents received this vital, basic service.
“Since the start of the war, we have constantly changed our safety guidelines and, as evidenced by the video, our car is parked under trees to minimize the risk of exposure.”
He then added: “However, someone must have leaked the coordinates to the Russians.”
The Head of the Donetsk Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin, said on Facebook that “Rescuers, medics, police, and local authorities are currently working at the scene. We are helping the victims and establishing the exact consequences of this crime.”
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office later said that law enforcement officers would be investigating the Russian strike as a war crime under part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Ukrainska Pravda quoted Ukraine’s parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, as saying, “This is yet another confirmation of systemic terror against the civilian population of Ukraine, which requires a decisive response from the international community and the inevitable punishment of the perpetrators.”
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack on his official Telegram channel as a brutally savage attack intentionally directed against ordinary civilians and called on the US, Europe and the G20 to take strong action against Russia for this latest atrocity.
A video taken at the scene shortly after the attack highlights the horror that was inflicted on a peaceful settlement.
WARNING – Distressing Scenes
Zelensky said the world needs to be made aware that Moscow is “continuing to destroy lives but avoid new strong sanctions, new strong blows.”
“The world must not remain silent. The world must not remain inactive. A reaction from the United States is needed. A reaction from Europe is needed. A reaction from the Group of Twenty is needed. Strong actions are needed so that Russia stops bringing death [to our people],” he wrote.
Yarova lies about eight kilometers from the front line. It was occupied by Russian forces in 2022 and later liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Sept. 19 of the same year.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the attack as a grave crime demanding global condemnation and decisive action.
“We call on the world to speak out and act immediately. We appeal to European partners, the US, G20 members, and all who value human life and the UN Charter to take action,” he wrote.
He said the Foreign Ministry is informing Ukraine’s partners and international organizations of the details and expects a strong response.
“Russian criminals must be held accountable for this and other atrocities. Russian propaganda claims it is ‘saving’ people in the Donetsk region, but in reality it is dropping massive aerial bombs on civilians collecting pensions. Russia brings only death, horror, and destruction,” Sybiha added.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
“Russia continues to show the world that it is a terrorist state. It does not seek peace – it seeks only to kill and destroy,” she wrote.
This news story will be updated as more information becomes available.