Ukrainian officials confirmed on Thursday that 49 innocent civilians lost their lives in a Russian attack on a grocery shop and cafe in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv’s eastern region. The incident occurred in an area where Russian forces have been aggressively attempting to regain control of territory they lost to Ukrainian troops the previous year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, describing it as a “brutal Russian crime” and a “completely deliberate terrorist attack” on an ordinary grocery store. Zelensky expressed his outrage and sorrow over the tragedy in a statement posted on social media.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general confirmed the death toll of at least 49 people, and images shared by President Zelensky depicted the harrowing scene, showing a woman kneeling beside the lifeless body of an apparent victim, with other casualties scattered around her. Rescue workers were seen tirelessly working to aid the wounded and recover the deceased.
Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the Kharkiv region, provided further details about the attack, stating that it occurred around 1:15 pm (1015 GMT) in the village of Groza, located 30 kilometers (approximately 20 miles) west of Kupiansk, a town on the frontline of the ongoing conflict. Groza, which had a pre-war population of around 500 people, witnessed a devastating loss of life in this tragic incident.
Rescue efforts were swiftly initiated in response to the attack, with Sinegubov reporting that among the victims was a 6-year-old boy, while another child had sustained injuries.
The international community has reacted with condemnation and calls for an immediate ceasefire, urging all parties involved to return to the negotiation table to seek a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. The tragic incident in Kharkiv serves as a stark reminder of the devastating toll that war inflicts on innocent civilians, and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Ukraine.
