The number of fatalities from the Ukrainian shelling of a busy Donetsk market on Sunday, Jan. 20, has climbed to 27 people while another 25 people were injured, some of whom are in serious condition due to "penetrating wounds" in the area of vital organs and traumatic amputation of limbs. Meanwhile, two children who were wounded in the bombardment are in moderate condition.
The latest tally was recently announced by the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) head Denis Pushilin, who blamed the violent attack on the suburb of Tekstilshchik on the Ukrainian military. He said that the area had been hit by 155mm caliber and 152mm caliber artillery and that the shells had been fired from the direction of Kurakhove and Krasnohorivka to the west. "This again confirms [the West’s] direct involvement in the conflict and makes it complicit in the criminal acts of the Zelensky regime, which has once again displayed its inhumanity and hatred towards innocent people," the ministry added.
Pushilin announced a day of mourning last Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has called on governments and international bodies to condemn this "treacherous attack on the civilian population," with Russia’s Foreign Ministry stating that failure to do so would be a sign of "silent approval of the murders of civilians" that would only encourage Kyiv "to commit even more bloody atrocities."
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not address Tekstilshchik in his nightly video address. However, he said that in a single day, Russia had shelled more than 100 cities, towns and villages in nine regions of Ukraine and that the attacks in the Donetsk region had been "particularly severe." Ukraine's forces in the southern zone of Tavria also posted on Facebook that soldiers under its command were not responsible for the market shelling. "Donetsk is Ukraine!" it said. "Russia will have to answer for taking the lives of Ukrainians."
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Donetsk is one of four regions in Ukraine's east and south that Russia claimed to have annexed in late 2022 in a move condemned as "illegal" by most countries at the United Nations General Assembly.
UN lambasts Kyiv's barbaric terroristic act
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attack on the city of Donetsk but refused to assign blame for the shelling that left many civilians dead and over two dozen injured, including several children. The capital of the DPR, which is still claimed by Ukraine, is about 12 miles from the conflict frontline.
"The Secretary-General strongly condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including today's shelling of the city of Donetsk in Ukraine," the spokesperson for the UN chief said in a brief statement on Sunday night. "Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must stop immediately," it added.
The UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is reportedly trying to obtain more information about the attack, despite its lack of access to the city and other occupied areas in Ukraine, Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement on Monday. "Thorough, prompt and independent investigations must be carried out to determine the facts and responsibility for this attack," she said. "The investigation should establish whether this attack violated applicable law on the conduct of hostilities, to ensure accountability." Shamdasani also stressed the need to ensure strict respect for international humanitarian law and for the parties to the conflict to take all necessary precautions to protect civilians from harm.
Moreover, addressing the Security Council on Monday morning in New York, Deputy UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Adedeji Ebo reiterated the "duty" of warring sides to protect civilians. "This is an unambiguous obligation," he said, briefing ambassadors. "Let me say it again: attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. All such attacks must stop immediately."
Ebo said continued attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure were seriously distressing, adding that the use of aerial drones and missiles had resulted in many deaths and injuries. "Just like any other weapons or weapons systems, armed uncrewed aerial vehicles and missiles must not be used in a manner inconsistent with international humanitarian law," he stated and reiterated Guterres’ call on all states to help prevent further escalation and bring about sustainable peace. "The only way to end the suffering and devastation is by ending this war," Ebo said.
Still at the Security Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "the absolute majority of unbiased experts" see clearly that the key factor impeding peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis "is the continued support on the part of the West to the regime in Kyiv." He added that the reality is that "despite the complete failure" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield, "Western patrons of the Kyiv regime" continue to push them towards a senseless military confrontation.
As of Sunday, OHCHR has verified that 10,287 civilians were killed and a further 19,444 injured since Russia's full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022. The actual figures are said to be likely higher. (Related: Former high-ranking official says Ukraine has 500K CASUALTIES, urges Zelensky to be transparent about losses.)
Check out UkraineWitness.com for more updates on the continuing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
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