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At least 25 killed in Russian-occupied Ukraine following missile strike, officials say

BY MIRANDA NAZZARO – 01/21/24,  https://thehill.com/policy/international/4420260-at-least-25-killed-in-russian-occupied-ukraine-following-missile-strike-officials-say/

The shelling of a market in a part of Russian-occupied Ukraine killed at least 25 people on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.

Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian-installed authorities in the city of Donetsk, said another 20 people, including two children, were wounded in the strike on the outskirts of the city, the AP reported. He claimed shells were fired by the Ukrainian military.

Pushilin claimed the area was hit with a 155 mm caliber and 152 mm caliber artillery, with shells being fired from the direction of Ukrainian cities Kurakhove and Krasnohorivka, per the news wire.

Kyiv did not comment on the event and the claims could not be independently verified, the news wire noted.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a translated statement, called the incident a “barbaric terrorist act against the civilian population of Russia.”

“The terrorist attacks of the Kiev regime clearly indicate its lack of political will for peace and the settlement of the conflict by diplomatic means,” the statement said. “The need to achieve all the goals and objectives of a special military operation is obvious. Security threats and acts of terrorism should not come from the territory of Ukraine.”

A fire also broke out at a chemical transport terminal at Russia’s Ust-Luga port after two explosions, the AP said, citing local media reports. Local media reported the port was attacked by Ukrainian drones and a gas tank exploded.

Yuri Zapalatsky, who heads Russia’s Kingisepp district, where the port is based, reported no causalities and that the area was on high alert, the AP reported.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense also announced Sunday that Moscow’s forces took control of the village Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, the news wire added. Ukrainian forces confirmed the settlement was occupied, describing the incident as a “temporary phenomenon.”

The war between Ukraine and Russia is approaching its two-year mark next month, with thousands of troops killed on each side.

January 22, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Ukraine