News of War Staff Writer
A crane lifts a destroyed vehicle from under the rubble as a damaged building is seen in the background, in Lysychansk, Luhansk, Ukraine, in this screen grab taken from a video released February 3, 2024. Russian Emergencies Ministry/Handout via Reuters
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Deadly Strike on Bakery and Restaurant in Eastern Ukraine
Russia has reported that a Ukrainian offensive resulted in the deaths of at least 28 individuals, including nine women and a child, following an attack on a bakery and restaurant in the Russian-held eastern regions of Ukraine, utilising rockets provided by the West.
Officials aligned with Russia stated that the bakery in Lysychansk was targeted around 12:30 GMT on Saturday with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) supplied by the USA.
Emergency services laboured overnight in the search for survivors amidst the ruins of the devastated Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, where, according to Russian claims, a bakery had been established to serve the civilian population.
Leonid Pasechnik, the leader installed by Russia for the Luhansk area, now under Russian control, commented, "The armed forces of Ukraine launched an attack on a bakery in Lysychansk." He noted that the bakery was filled with civilians at the time it was hit. The Russian emergency ministry has reported the rescue of 10 individuals from the debris.
However, the ministry also noted that four individuals were in a "critically severe condition" and efforts to find more survivors were ongoing.
There has yet to be a response from Ukraine regarding the assault. Reuters could not immediately confirm the types of weapons used in the attack.
Following President Vladimir Putin's order for an invasion in February 2022, Russia has seized large portions of eastern Ukraine, instigating the largest terrestrial conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Russia currently occupies approximately 18% of its neighbour's territory, claiming it as part of Russia. This annexation is not recognised by Ukraine or Western nations.
In response to the attack, Russia's foreign ministry has issued a condemnation, urging the West to reconsider its financial backing of Kyiv, which it alleges is being used to perpetrate civilian casualties.
"According to initial information, the attack was executed with Western armaments," stated Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.
She added, "Citizens of the EU should be aware of how their taxes are being spent - they finance the acquisition of lethal weaponry systems that are then dispatched to the Kyiv regime, which employs them against civilians."
Through analysis of the design and colour of the ruined structure and a matching sign with file imagery of the area, Reuters has confirmed the video location shared by the Russian emergencies ministry as the Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, Lysychansk.
Nonetheless, Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage's date or any other details of the report from the region annexed by Russia in July 2022 following extensive conflict.
According to Ukrainian officials, only a fraction of Lysychansk's pre-war populace of 110,000 remains.
While Ukraine reclaimed significant territory from Russian forces in 2022, its counter-offensive in 2023 did not significantly breach Russian fortifications, leading to debate among Kyiv's Western allies on the future course of action.
In the recent month, Russian troops have captured 56 square miles (140 square kilometres) of Ukrainian land, as reported by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School.