A Russian air strike on a shopping centre in Ukraine's Dobropillia resulted in at least two fatalities and over 27 injuries. This attack, described as "horrific" by President Zelensky, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict as peace negotiations stall.
Tragic Russian Airstrike Claims Lives in Ukrainian Town Shopping Centre
Tragic Russian Airstrike Claims Lives in Ukrainian Town Shopping Centre
Russian attacks intensify as airstrike hits community shopping centre in Dobropillia, leaving two dead and dozens injured.
A tragic incident unfolded in Dobropillia, a town in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, on Wednesday evening when a Russian airstrike targeted a bustling shopping centre and market, claiming the lives of at least two individuals and injuring 27 others, according to local authorities. Regional governor Vadym Filashkin reported that the assault damaged more than 50 shops, 300 residential apartments, and eight vehicles.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack in his nightly address, branding it as "simply horrific" and noting the absence of any military rationale behind such an act. Silence from Russia followed the strike. Filashkin indicated that the strike involved a 500-kg (1,100-pound) air bomb, dropped at around 17:20 local time (14:20 GMT) during peak shopping hours.
Situated just 20km (12 miles) from frontline conflicts and northeast of Pokrovsk, Dobropillia has been under continuous threat of assaults since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Earlier this year, a similar attack in March resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals, including five children.
Recent weeks have witnessed a drastic increase in air and missile attacks from Russia across Ukraine, with reports from the United Nations indicating over 230 civilian deaths in June alone—the highest monthly toll during the three-year conflict.
In a related development, US special envoy Keith Kellogg is on a week-long visit to Kyiv, seeking to bolster US-Ukrainian cooperation amid these troubling escalations. President Donald Trump, expressing frustration over ineffective diplomatic efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has threatened to impose heavy sanctions if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days. Furthermore, he announced that the US would supply "top-of-the-line weapons" to Ukraine through NATO allies, ensuring their ability to defend themselves effectively.
