Russia has blamed Ukrainian forces for a drone attack on a crowded marketplace in southern Ukraine, claiming the strike led to the deaths of at least seven civilians and injuries to over 20 others. Meanwhile, Ukraine contends that the casualties were exclusively military personnel.
Reuters has not been able to verify the claims from either party.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the Kherson region, stated that the drone strikes occurred in Oleshky around 9:30 am on a public holiday.
He, along with two users on social media, shared videos that allegedly captured parts of the event.
While Reuters confirmed the location as Oleshky, it could not independently establish the timing of the footage.
One video displayed an explosion near a series of low buildings.
Another clip depicted at least two bodies on the ground near the building; however, their identities were unclear.
Vladyslav Voloshyn, a representative for the Ukrainian military, stated that Ukraine was targeting Russian forces in that area of Kherson, asserting that only military personnel were among the casualties.
Russia’s foreign ministry called for the international community to denounce what it labeled an act of terrorism.
“Following initial strikes that already caused casualties, the enemy executed a second drone attack, where they brutally killed survivors and assaulted responders,” the ministry remarked in a statement.
“This represents yet another horrific war crime.”
Sergei Cherevko, a local Russian-appointed official, claimed that approximately 30 Ukrainian drones carried out the attack in four separate waves, as reported by state media.
Cherevko accused Ukrainian forces of using cluster munitions against ambulances arriving at the scene and stated that two individuals had died, contradicting Saldo’s report of seven fatalities and the figures given by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Reuters has reached out for clarification from Saldo.
Throughout the ongoing war, now surpassing four years, both Russia and Ukraine have accused one another of intentionally targeting civilians, a claim that both sides deny.
Civilian losses have been significantly higher in Ukraine.
Recent Russian strikes that the Kremlin claimed were focused on military targets resulted in the deaths of 19 individuals in Kryvyi Rih, 35 in Sumy, and 12 in the capital Kyiv, prompting US President Donald Trump to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!”.
Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy from Russia’s foreign ministry, described the assault on Oleshky as a “monstrous atrocity” that undermined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s discussions on peace.
Ukraine is advocating for a ceasefire lasting at least 30 days to facilitate negotiations for a fair peace.
While Russia has not accepted such a truce, Putin has announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire for the upcoming week and the Kremlin reports that he is amenable to direct negotiations with Ukraine.
