Russia has reported a devastating tragedy in which at least 28 people, including nine women and a child, lost their lives in an attack by Ukrainian armed forces. The incident took place in the Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine region when Ukraine launched rockets supplied by the West, targeting a bakery and restaurant in the city of Lysychansk.
A Shattered Bakery and Restaurant
Russian-backed officials claim that Ukraine struck the bakery on Saturday at around 12:30 (07:30 ET), using the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). As of now, Ukraine has not officially commented on the attack, and Reuters has not been able to independently verify the exact weapons used in the assault.
Emergency workers have been diligently searching through the rubble of the devastated Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, where the bakery was located, in an effort to find survivors. Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of the Luhansk region, which is now under Russian control, stated, “The armed forces of Ukraine opened fire on a bakery in Lysychansk.” According to Russian officials, the bakery was filled with civilians at the time of the strike. Russia’s emergency ministry has confirmed that 10 people were rescued alive from the wreckage, but unfortunately, four others are in an extremely critical condition, with the search ongoing for more survivors.
Russia’s Annexation and Condemnation
Since President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion in February 2022, Russia has gained control of a significant portion of eastern Ukraine, amounting to approximately 18% of the country. However, Ukraine and the Western nations staunchly oppose the annexation and refuse to recognize the occupied territory as part of Russia. In response to the Ukrainian attack, Russia’s foreign ministry condemned the use of Western-supplied weapons, urging the West to consider how their financial support to Kyiv is being employed to harm innocent civilians. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated, “EU citizens should know how their taxes are used — they are used to buy deadly weapons systems and send them to the Kyiv regime which uses them to kill civilians.”
Verifying the Incident
To verify the reported incident, Reuters has analyzed the design, color, and signage of the damaged building, comparing it to documented imagery of the area. The news agency has confirmed the location of a video shared by the Russian emergencies ministry, which corresponds to the Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street in Lysychansk, as identified on Google Maps. However, Reuters has not been able to independently verify the date of the footage or obtain further details regarding the report from this area, which Russia annexed in July 2022 following extensive fighting.
The Ongoing Conflict
Although Ukraine successfully reclaimed some territory from Russian forces in 2022, its counter-offensive in 2023 failed to significantly impact the heavily fortified Russian lines. As the conflict continues, Kyiv’s Western allies are debating the most effective strategies for Ukraine’s defense. In the past month alone, Russian forces have seized an additional 56 square miles of Ukrainian territory, according to the Belfer Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
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