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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Max Hunder & Sam Elliott-Gibbs

Harrowing images as Putin's rockets obliterate apartment block slaughtering 15

At least 15 people have been killed with more feared trapped after deadly Russian rockets destroyed a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin's Uragan missile obliterated the residential home in the Donetsk region, leading to the building's collapsing.

The regional emergency services are still working to pull survivors from the rubble. They gave the latest death toll from the strike in the town of Chasiv Yar as 15 people, with rescue work still going on.

More lives are in danger as Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that at least 30 more people could be trapped under the ruins.

He said: "The rescue operation is underway. Rescuers were able to bring out six dead and five injured.

At least 15 people have been killed and more are feared trapped after a Russian Uragan rocket hit the apartments (via REUTERS)

"At least 30 others are under the rubble' of the four-storey building. The building was partially destroyed, and rescuers with a mechanical digger were clearing the area.

"The rescuers have so far been able to establish contact with two people underneath the rubble."

The Ukrainian emergency service said on Facebook that rescuers were in contact with three people alive under the bricks.

"During the rescue operation, 15 bodies were found at the scene and five people were pulled out of the rubble,' alive," they said.

The death toll in Chasiv Yar continues to rise (via REUTERS)

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine's president, said in a Telegram post that the strike was "another terrorist attack," and that Russia should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism" as a result.

Russia, which says it is conducting a "special military operation" to demilitarise Ukraine, denies targeting civilians.

Ukraine also reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, as the United States sought to marshal international support in opposing Moscow's invasion.

The rescue mission has continued following the Russian assault (via REUTERS)

Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar.

Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, parts of which were held by pro-Russian separatists before the conflict began in February, comprise the eastern industrial region of the Donbas that Russia is seeking to take over.

Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraine's military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border.

Saturday's missile attack has so far left 15 dead and 30 injured (via REUTERS)
Russia denied targeting civilians after a missile strike this weekend (via REUTERS)

It gave no details of damage or casualties. Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk.

"The enemy is ... shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region," he said on Telegram.

"During the last night alone, the Russians launched seven artillery barrages and four rocket strikes." Russia claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend.

Soldiers and emergency services work around the close to rescue survivors (via REUTERS)


Russia's Tass news agency, meanwhile, cited pro-Russian separatists as saying Ukrainian forces had fired an artillery barrage into residential districts of the city of Donetsk.

Ukrainian military spokesman were not immediately available for comment.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday the Russian army had attacked civilians on purpose.

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24 in what it called a "special operation" to degrade its military capabilities and root out what it calls dangerous nationalists.

A woman stands among the debris this morning (REUTERS)

Kyiv and its Western allies call the invasion an unprovoked land grab.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force
it to withdraw.

In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraine's military command said.

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