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UPDATE: At least 51 killed in Russian attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv region: officials

05.10.2023 23:30
At least 51 people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed in a Russian attack on a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region on Thursday, authorities said.
At least 51 people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed in a Russian attack on a village in Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region on Thursday, authorities said.
At least 51 people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed in a Russian attack on a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region on Thursday, authorities said.Photo: PAP/Mykola Kalyeniak

Regional governor Oleh Synehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that a cafe and a shop were attacked in the village of Hroza in the Kupyansk district of Kharkiv at around 1:15 p.m. local time, the Reuters news agency reported.

He added that many civilians were there at the time.

"The rescuers continue to work on the site," Synehubov said, as quoted by Reuters.

It was not immediately clear whether Russian forces had shelled the village or fired a missile, Reuters reported.

'Brutal terrorist attack': Ukrainian president

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was attending a meeting of European leaders in the Spanish city of Granada, accused Russia of carrying out "a fully deliberate, demonstrative, and brutal terrorist attack," saying that a "Russian missile struck an ordinary grocery store in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to attend a meeting of European leaders in Granada, Spain, on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to attend a meeting of European leaders in Granada, Spain, on Thursday. Photo: EPA/MIGUEL ANGEL MOLINA

'Deliberate act of terrorism'

In an earlier post, Zelensky denounced the attack as "a demonstrably brutal Russian crime – a missile attack on an ordinary grocery store, a completely deliberate act of terrorism," Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.

Zelensky said in a post on Telegram that "Russian terror should be stopped" and that "all those who help Russia evade sanctions are criminals," according to Ukrinform.

He stated: "All those who support Russia until now support evil. Russia needs this and similar terrorist attacks for only one purpose: to make its genocidal aggression the new norm for the whole world."

Zelensky added, as cited by Ukrinform: "Now we are talking with European leaders, in particular on strengthening our air defenses, in particular on reinforcing our soldiers, in particular on giving our country protection from terror. And we will respond to terrorists. Absolutely justly. And with might."

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

Thursday is day 589 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: ukrinform.net, Reuters, IAR, PAP