Officials confirmed that a Russian glide bomb hit the village of Yarova in Donetsk region, killing 21 civilians waiting to collect pension payments. Another 21 people suffered injuries in the strike near the front line, adding to the mounting toll on communities in the region.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “a brutally savage Russian airstrike directly on people.” He urged Western allies to take stronger action against Moscow. Donetsk Ukraine authorities stressed that the victims were obviously civilians, making the assault a deliberate act of terror rather than a military strike.
Eyewitnesses reported scenes of devastation, with bodies lying beside a postal service vehicle. Ukraine’s prosecutor general announced the opening of a war crimes investigation, underlining the seriousness of the attack.
Escalating War in Donetsk Ukraine
The bombing highlights Russia’s intensified offensive in Donetsk Ukraine. Ukrainian intelligence estimates that Moscow has positioned over 100,000 troops along key parts of the front line. Local officials warned that nearby towns remain under constant threat of missiles, artillery, and glide bombs.
The strike came just days after Russia launched its largest air attack since the war began, which targeted Kyiv and several other cities. That assault killed at least four people and damaged government buildings, including Ukraine’s central seat of power. Analysts argue that these attacks undermine any diplomatic momentum and make a ceasefire unlikely.
Zelenskyy once again called on global leaders, especially those in the United States and Europe, to impose tougher sanctions and deliver stronger military support. “The Russians continue to destroy lives but avoid new strong sanctions,” he said.
For residents of Donetsk Ukraine, daily life has become a struggle for survival. What should have been a routine day of pension collection instead turned into one of the war’s deadliest tragedies for civilians.
