Ukrainian officials reported today that a devastating Russian strike hit a grocery store and café in the northeast Kharkiv region, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 51 people. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described this act as a “demonstrably brutal Russian crime”, labeling it as a “rocket attack on an ordinary grocery store.” In a powerful message shared on his channel on the Telegram messaging app, Zelenskyy referred to it as a “terrorist attack” and vowed to respond with great force.
The Internal Affairs Minister of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, confirmed the death toll of 51 individuals who were discovered amidst the rubble of the demolished building. Klymenko stated that there were approximately 60 people present in the grocery store when the Russian rocket or missile struck.
Evidence captured through images released by Zelenskyy’s office displayed emergency workers sifting through the immense pile of crushed concrete and twisted metal at the incident site. Other pictures depicted the lifeless bodies of victims after being extracted from the wreckage.
Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to the families affected by this tragedy and assured them that assistance is being provided to the injured. He condemned the ruthless actions of Russia and labeled anyone who aids Russia in evading sanctions as a criminal.
The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Synehubov, disclosed that the targeted building housed a café and shop within the village of Hroza in Kharkiv’s Kupyansk district. The missile or shells struck during a busy period at approximately 1:15 p.m. local time. Among the casualties was a 6-year-old boy. The village, which had a population of around 500 people prior to the war, has witnessed a significant exodus of residents over the past year.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement through his spokesperson, strongly condemning the attack. Guterres emphasized the prohibition of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law and urged an immediate cessation of such actions.
Zelenskyy expressed determination in Ukraine’s response to the terrorists, vowing a fair and powerful retaliation. The city of Kupyansk, located nearby, holds strategic importance as a rail hub in northeast Ukraine. The entire region, situated not far from the Russian border, has been ravaged over the course of the 20-month-long war. In April, when CBS News visited, over 80% of the population had already fled, and the scars of Russia’s relentless shelling were evident in the damaged roads and apartment buildings.
The defiant Mayor of Kupyansk, Andriy Besedin, assured CBS News in April that neither Kupyansk nor the surrounding towns would ever be occupied by Russia again. The enemy forces had reached within six miles of Kupyansk at that time and were waiting just beyond the eastern horizon. Since then, the war has reached a stalemate across the nearly 600-mile front line that spans eastern Ukraine.
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