Russia-Ukraine conflict: Russian missiles hit apartment building in Donbas, killing 15

Russia has turned its focus on the eastern territories of Ukraine that are occupied by pro-Russian separatists in its invasion. In one of Russia’s latest attacks, missiles struck an apartment building in the eastern region of Donetsk, killing at least 15 people.

Local officials said Sunday that Russian missiles hit an apartment building in Donetsk. At least 15 people were killed from the strike, and around two dozen others are feared to be trapped in the debris and rubble that resulted from the attack. Kyiv also reported clashes with Russian troops on the ground in the eastern and southern territories.

Around the same time, Moscow claimed that it struck Ukrainian military hangars that stored the US-made M777 howitzers near Kostyantynivka in Donetsk.

Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike took place Saturday at the town of Chasiv Yar. By Sunday afternoon, the rescue service reported that 15 had been killed in the attack and that 24 people may be trapped under the rubble.

Kyrylenko also shared on the Telegram messaging platform that rescuers in Chasiv Yar had already cleared out 99 tons of rubble from the collapsed building and that rescue operations are ongoing.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram that the latest strike was another “terrorist attack” by Russian forces and that Russia should also be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. Moscow has denied purposely targeting civilians in its so-called “military operation” that continues in its fourth month.

Meanwhile, Kyiv told residents of the Russian-occupied region of Kherson to evacuate immediately as Ukrainian troops are set to launch their counter-attack from the area. Deputy prime minister Irina Vereshchuk said in televised remarks that Ukrainians that are still in Kherson must evacuate immediately from the anticipated shelling and artillery.

While Vereshchuk did not say when the counter-attack would happen, she said that women and children should not be in the area “and that they should not become human shields.”

Russia took control of most of Ukraine’s Black Sea region, including the territory of Kherson, in the first weeks of the war that began in February.