A massive Russian airstrike hit an eastern Ukrainian village, killing dozens of civilians who were collecting their pensions. According to preliminary data released by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, more than 20 people died in the airstrike. The tragic incident occurred in the village of Yarova, located in the Donetsk region, where the victims were ordinary people who had gathered to receive their pensions, the head of state said.
Yarova, located north of the city of Sloviansk, is in close proximity to the front line, where Russian forces are slowly but methodically advancing in the eastern part of the country. This slow advance is accompanied by continuous attacks on the civilian population, which raises serious questions about the tactics and goals of Russia's military operations.
The head of the Donetsk regional administration, Vadym Filkashkin, confirmed that emergency services are at the scene of the tragedy. He specified that the number of injured is approximately equal to that of the dead, which suggests that the total number of victims could reach 40 people or more. Each new piece of information from the scene reveals an increasingly horrific picture, as rescue teams work tirelessly among the ruins, and the air is filled with dust and the agonizing sounds of sirens.
If the casualty figures are finally confirmed, this attack will rank among the deadliest assaults against Ukrainian civilians in recent weeks. It happens against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has now been ongoing for 42 months and is characterized by constant strikes on critical infrastructure and civilian targets. Such actions systematically undermine international humanitarian law and call into question the Kremlin's declared goals of "liberating" the region. Instead, they lead to an escalation of the humanitarian crisis and the senseless loss of human lives. The tragedy in Yarova once again underscores the brutality of the war, which continues to claim the lives of innocent civilians.