A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday as at least 25 people lost their lives in a shelling attack on a market in the outskirts of Donetsk, a Russian-occupied region of Ukraine. The strike occurred in the suburb of Tekstilshchik, resulting in an additional 20 individuals being injured, including two children, according to Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian-installed authorities in Donetsk. He attributed the shelling to the Ukrainian military, a claim that has not been independently verified by The Associated Press as Kyiv has not yet commented on the event.
Emergency services are actively engaged at the scene, working to manage the aftermath of the devastating attack. The international community is closely monitoring the situation as tensions continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine.
In a separate incident on the same day, a fire broke out at a chemical transport terminal in Russia’s Ust-Luga port following two explosions. Regional officials reported that Ukrainian drones were allegedly responsible for the attack, leading to the explosion of a gas tank. The affected site is operated by Novatek, Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer, located 165 kilometers southwest of St. Petersburg. Novatek stated that the fire resulted from an “external influence,” leading them to temporarily halt operations at the port.
While there are no reported casualties, Yuri Zapalatsky, the head of Russia’s Kingisepp district, where the port is situated, declared a state of high alert for the area. Reports of Ukrainian drones detected in the vicinity have not been independently verified, and the Russian Ministry of Defense did not mention any drone activity in the Kingisepp area in its daily briefing.
The incidents come amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with ongoing conflicts and sporadic exchanges of accusations. The international community is closely watching developments in the region, awaiting official statements and further verification of the events.
COMMENTS