A new barrage of missiles smashed through the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Thursday, shooting flames and thick plumes into the air as terrified citizens scrambled for cover.
AWN had just arrived on the site when the first incoming strike on Kramatorsk was heard. The second attack was witnessed by AWN, with two impacts roughly one minute apart. Two women rushed out of their car and ran screaming, while other civilians sought refuge wherever they could. One AWN vehicle’s blastproof glass was shattered.
At least one citizen was injured and paramedics were called to the area. Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko also verified the strike and advised locals to remain in bomb shelters.
According to Pavlo Kyrylenko, the chief of the Donetsk area military administration, at least five persons were injured in Thursday’s strike.
“They destroyed 13 two-story buildings, three four-story buildings, a children’s clinic and school, as well as garages and cars,” Kyrylenko claimed. “Every day, Russians prove their status as terrorists.”
Moscow’s military attack occurred after Russian soldiers launched an Iskander-K missile into the residential neighbourhood on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring eight more, according to local authorities. Honcharenko stated that two of the injured are in critical condition.
In the aftermath of Wednesday’s attack, which destroyed eight residential buildings, rescue personnel searched amid mountains of rubble for survivors. People were also moved to a nearby school for shelter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the strike and offered condolences to the victims’ families and friends.
“This is not a repeat of history; this is our country’s daily reality,” he remarked on Telegram.
“A country on the verge of total wickedness. And a country that must overcome it in order to eliminate the possibility of similar tragedies occurring again. We will unquestionably locate and punish all culprits. They are unworthy of pity.”
The attack in Kramatorsk came after a top Kyiv official indicated Russia is preparing for a “maximum escalation” of Ukraine’s almost year-long war.
“These will be pivotal months in the battle,” said Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, in an interview carried Tuesday on Sky News.
“I’m aware that the main bouts are still to come, and they will take place this year, within the next two to three months,” he stated.
“Russia is ready for the highest level of escalation. It is acquiring as much information as possible, doing drills, and training. As for an offensive from various areas, I can say that we are not ruling out any scenario in the next two to three weeks.”