- Tragic Loss in Southern Ukraine: Russian Shelling Claims Lives of Seven, Including Infants
- President Zelensky Condemns “Brutal” Attack and Vows to Respond to Russian Actions
- Escalating Tensions: Russian Accusations of “Terrorism” and Unverified Black Sea Incident
On Sunday, seven people, including a 22-day-old infant, her 12-year-old sibling, and their parents, were killed by Russian shelling in southern Ukraine.
Igor Klymenko, minister of the interior, stated that their house in the village of Shyroka Balka in Cherson was destroyed by bombs.
The deceased also included an additional villager and two men from neighboring Stanislav.
“Terrorists must be eliminated. They must be halted with force, Mr. Klymenko stated. They cannot comprehend anything else.
The minister distributed photographs of the aftermath of the assault on Shyroka Balka, which depicted black smoke billowing from buildings and digitally obscured images of some of the victims.
He added that thirteen others were injured in the bombardment.
In his daily address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the “brutal” attack in Shyroka Balka.
“Five people were killed,” he stated. “Among them was a 22-day-old infant female. Her younger brother is 12 years old. The mother, Olesia, was only 39 years old.
He added that there were 17 reports of Russian bombardment in Kherson alone, with many more outside of the city.
He stated, “There is never a day that Russian evil does not receive a completely just response.”
“We will not leave any of Russia’s crimes unanswered.”
Kherson was one of four Ukrainian districts Putin claimed to have seized last year.
In November, the Ukrainian military reclaimed the western portion of the region. From across the Dnieper River, Russian forces have continued to bombard the area.
The bombardment occurred a day after Moscow accused Kyiv of “terrorism” for allegedly attempting to launch a missile attack on the Crimean Bridge, which connects the peninsula to Russia.
Although Ukraine has not confirmed the attack, Mr. Zelensky has previously stated that the bridge is a legitimate target. Because it serves as a military supply route.
Crimea has been under Moscow’s authority since 2014 when Russian forces annexed the peninsula despite international condemnation.
In a separate development, Moscow stated that it had fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southeastern Black Sea to stop it for an inspection en route to the Ukrainian Danube port of Izmail.
The Russian claim has not been verified independently. If verified, it would be the first time Russia has fired on merchant ships outside of Ukraine since withdrawing from a historic grain deal brokered by the United Nations last month.
Russia claimed that its patrol vessel Vasily Bykov discharged automatic weapons at the Palauan-flagged Sukru Okan after it refused to stop for an inspection.
Russian military fought Sunday, killing numerous Ukrainian citizens, according to an adviser to Mariupol’s exiled mayor.
Two teenage females, four young men, and a woman were among those killed in the “shoot-out” in the village of Urzuf, according to a Telegram message from Petro Andryshchenko.
According to him, the gunfight ensued after a dispute between Chechen troops and personnel from the local commandant’s office.
Last year, Russia captured Mariupol, a key port on the Sea of Azov, after months of fierce fighting.
