KYIV: A Russian airstrike on a village in eastern Ukraine has killed at least 20 civilians according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attack targeted the rural settlement of Yarova in the Donetsk region during pension disbursement hours on Tuesday.
President Zelensky described the strike as brutally savage and directly aimed at ordinary civilians in a social media statement.
Ukrainian officials confirmed 21 people were wounded in addition to the fatalities from the aerial bomb attack.
Amateur video from the scene showed corpses scattered across the ground near a burned-out minivan and playground.
Personal belongings, papers, and shoes were visible scattered throughout the attack site according to the footage.
The village of Yarova lies approximately eight kilometres from the front line with a pre-war population of around 1,900 people.
Russia claims the industrial Donetsk region as part of its territory despite not having full control over the area.
Kyiv reports that Moscow has massed 100,000 troops at a key section of the front line for a potential new offensive.
President Zelensky urgently called for international responses from the United States, Europe, and the G20 nations.
He emphasised that strong actions are needed to make Russia stop bringing death to Ukrainian civilians.
The Ukrainian leader’s social media post included graphic images of the attack’s aftermath.
AFP could not independently verify the images posted by Ukrainian officials from the attack site.
The incident represents one of the deadliest single attacks on civilians in recent months. – AFP
