By Obinna Uballa
A Russian aerial bomb strike has killed at least 21 civilians and injured several others in the rural village of Yarova in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, officials said on Tuesday, describing the attack as one of the deadliest in recent weeks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as “brutally savage,” saying it was targeted “directly on people. Ordinary civilians.” In a video shared by Zelensky, bodies of victims in civilian clothes were seen lying on the ground, many appearing to be elderly.
Authorities said the attack occurred as villagers gathered to collect pension payments, which were distributed by Ukraine’s postal service.
Footage from the scene showed the mangled remains of a postal van parked near a children’s playground, underscoring the scale of the devastation, CNN reported.
“The Russians attacked people while they were receiving their pensions. This is not warfare, this is pure terrorism,” said Vadym Filashkin, head of Donetsk’s regional military administration. Rescue teams and medics were still working at the site late Tuesday.
The head of the local postal office was among the injured and has been hospitalised, according to Igor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukraine’s postal service. He said the service constantly updates security measures to avoid such targeted strikes, noting that the van had been parked under trees to reduce visibility.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha demanded strong international action, including fresh sanctions against Russia, calling the bombing proof of Moscow’s “hypocrisy” in claiming to protect civilians in occupied areas.
The village of Yarova, which had about 2,800 residents before Russia’s 2022 invasion, was occupied in mid-2022 before being recaptured by Ukrainian forces later that year.
The Donetsk attack came as Russia intensified its strikes across Ukraine. Within 24 hours, seven people were killed and 22 injured nationwide, according to officials. In Zaporizhzhia, a woman was killed and another wounded in an early-morning attack, while six people died and 10 were injured in a separate strike on Donetsk on Monday.
