Governor states civilian killed in Ukrainian assault on Donetsk

(MENAFN) Ukrainian forces carried out a series of missile and drone strikes on the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Monday night, leaving one civilian dead and at least three others injured, including a teenager, according to DPR head Denis Pushilin.

Pushilin stated on Telegram that long-range air-launched missiles struck Donetsk’s central Voroshilovsky district, killing a woman and injuring a teenage boy and an adult man. The strikes caused fires and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including the Sokol market, a central department store, and a bank.

RT correspondent Roman Kosarev, reporting from the scene, confirmed significant destruction. “Air defenses were active for about an hour. Some missiles were intercepted, but others made it through,” Kosarev said. “A shopping center was destroyed, and I personally saw the body of a woman on my way here.” The Russian Defense Ministry has not officially confirmed the type of missiles used, but early reports suggest they may have been British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Specialists are examining missile fragments found at the scene.

In a separate attack, a kamikaze drone targeted Gorlovka, another major DPR city, injuring a 19-year-old man. The drone destroyed one residential building and damaged 12 others, along with seven civilian facilities, including a clinic, a dormitory, three boiler houses, a pharmacy, and a bank, Pushilin added.

Gorlovka, located about 50 kilometers north of Donetsk and once home to 250,000 people, has faced regular attacks from Ukrainian forces since 2014. Emergency crews are working to extinguish fires and assess the damage. Pushilin confirmed that all the injured are receiving medical treatment.

Last week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Kiev of deliberately targeting civilians in Donbass, including drone strikes on homes and mass killings of the elderly. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said these attacks reflect a deliberate policy by Ukraine’s leadership, labeling it a “hallmark” of the Kiev authorities.

The DPR and the neighboring Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) declared independence after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Ukraine. Following years of Ukraine’s refusal to implement the Minsk Agreements and continuous shelling of civilian areas, Russia launched its military operation on February 24, 2022. In September 2022, referendums were held in both republics, as well as in Zaporozhye and Kherson, on joining Russia.

On Monday, LPR Governor Leonid Pasechnik announced that Russian forces had secured full control of the LPR. Meanwhile, military operations continue in parts of the DPR still under Kiev’s control.

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