A cafe and grocery store in a village in northeastern Ukraine were hit by a Russian missile on Thursday, resulting in the death of at least 51 people who were attending a memorial service, according to Ukrainian officials. The incident occurred in Hroza village in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region. Regional governor Oleh Synehubov stated that the cafe and shop were completely destroyed, and an unspecified number of civilians were present at the time of the attack.
Videos shared by officials show rescue workers navigating through the rubble of the collapsed buildings. Some photos depict bodies lying amidst concrete slabs and twisted metal, while others show rescue workers carrying away the deceased.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko explained that the residents, numbering around 330 individuals, were gathered at the cafe for a memorial service when it was struck by the missile. A local official mentioned that they had been sitting down to eat when the incident took place. Klymenko expressed his condolences on national television, describing the tragedy as “terrible.”
According to a representative from the Kharkiv regional military administration, this attack is the deadliest one recorded in the Kharkiv region since Russia’s invasion over a year and a half ago. It also appears to be one of the most devastating attacks on civilians by Russia since the beginning of the war.
Klymenko stated that initial information suggests the attack was carried out using an Iskander ballistic missile. He emphasized that the strike was deliberately aimed at civilians and that Ukrainian security services have launched an investigation into the incident. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov referred to the attack as a “heinous crime” and accused the terrorists of deliberately targeting innocent Ukrainians.
Though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was attending a summit with European leaders in Spain at the time, he condemned the attack and called for an end to “Russian terror.” Zelenskiy further expressed the need for stronger air defense and protection for the country against acts of terrorism.
Russia has frequently conducted airstrikes since the start of its invasion in February 2022, while Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive in the south and east of the country. Moscow has denied intentionally targeting civilians, but numerous attacks have resulted in the deaths of civilians and damages to residential areas, energy facilities, defense installations, ports, and grain infrastructure.
As of now, Moscow has not provided any immediate comment on the events in Hroza. Ongoing reports indicate that Ukraine is gradually gaining ground with its counteroffensive.
Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Andrew Heavend
Credit: The Star : News Feed
