A member of the Reuters news agency was missing, and two others were wounded in a Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. This marked a deadly day in the ongoing conflict, with 12 civilians killed across the country in the last 24 hours. The attacks came following Ukraine’s celebration of independence from the Soviet Union and a prisoner of war swap between the warring sides. Despite Ukraine’s advances into the Kursk region, Moscow continued its strikes and advances in eastern Ukraine.
The strike on the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, where the Reuters crew was staying, triggered a search and rescue operation. Kramatorsk serves as a base for aid workers and foreign journalists and is the last major city under Ukrainian control in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian prosecutors reported that the hotel was hit by a Russian Iskander missile, with the strike also damaging a nearby building. Local residents were given plywood to protect their windows as fears over the city rose with Russian forces advancing into eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed that seven civilians were killed in Russian attacks in Donetsk region, while four died in shelling in the Sumy border region. One more person was killed in the frontline village of Ukrainsk on Sunday morning. Ukraine accused Russia of shelling around 50 settlements in the Sumy region, where Kyiv launched its incursion into the Russian Kursk region. Russian attacks also targeted the Kharkiv region, leaving eight people wounded in the city of Kharkiv. In Russia, officials reported six civilians killed in the Belgorod border region.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that five people died in a strike on the village of Rakitnoye, with a dozen others wounded. Thirteen more were wounded, with six in serious condition, including a 16-year-old in intensive care. Gladkov later reported that a man was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the village of Solovyevka further south. The incursion into the Kursk region has resulted in over 130,000 people being displaced. Despite the ongoing deadly conflict, the search and rescue operation in Kramatorsk was underway, with authorities clearing the rubble.
The situation in Kramatorsk led to local residents expressing fear and uncertainty as they dealt with the aftermath of the strike. Many residents were going to bed or resting during the attack, leading to panic and devastation with the sound of explosions and shattered glass. The elderly population, with memories of World War II, faced the added stress of ongoing conflict on their doorsteps. The strike on the hotel served as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by locals and journalists alike as the conflict continued to escalate.
With Russia’s continued strikes and advances, the conflict in eastern Ukraine showed no signs of abating. The ongoing violence led to casualties on both sides, with civilians bearing the brunt of the attacks. The search for the missing Reuters journalist highlighted the dangers faced by those reporting on the conflict. The international community watched closely as the situation in Ukraine continued to deteriorate, with fears of further escalation and loss of life. The conflict underscored the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to end the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.
