Russian missile kills 23 in civilian convoy
A RUSSIAN air strike killed more than 20 civilians when it hit a humanitarian convoy in southern Ukraine as Kyiv’s forces surrounded the eastern town of Lyman.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky branded the Russian military as ‘bloodthirsty scum’ after the blast claimed at least 23 lives, with another 74 in hospital.
‘Only complete terrorists could do this. You will definitely answer for it. For every lost Ukrainian life,’ he said. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior adviser to Mr Zelensky, said Russia
had fired 16 anti-aircraft missiles at the city of Zaporizhzhia early yesterday morning.
At least one missile hit the convoy of residents going to rescue their relatives from the Russian-occupied part of the region.
The blast left a huge crater next to a row of vehicles with blownout windows.
Photos on social media showed bodies and possessions strewn across the road. Rubbish bags, blankets and blood-soaked towels were used to cover the corpses.
Ihor Shyshka, head doctor of the Zaporizhzhia regional clinical hospital, said five of the wounded were in a critical condition, including a five-year-old girl.
Officials declared today as a day of mourning across the region in memory of the victims.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell slammed the ‘heinous attack by Russia’, which came just hours before Vladimir Putin annexed four regions on Ukraine.