Russian Missile Strike Kills Seven and Injures Dozens in Pokrovsk, Ukraine
In a devastating attack on Monday evening, Russian missiles struck the small Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, followed by a second attack just 37 minutes later, apparently targeting emergency workers responding to the initial strike. The aftermath of the attack has left seven people dead, including one rescuer, and 82 injured, including 38 emergency workers and two children.
The city of Pokrovsk, located about 43 miles northwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk and 30 miles from the front line, has been left in ruins. At least 12 multistory buildings, including a hotel, a prosecutor’s office, a pharmacy, shops, and two cafes, have been damaged.
Amidst concerns for the safety of rescuers, the search for survivors was temporarily suspended overnight after the second attack. By the time rescue operations were finally completed on Tuesday, 122 tons of rubble had been cleared from the city center.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that their forces had targeted a command post of Ukrainian troops in the city. However, Ukrainian officials categorically rejected this assertion, labeling it as baseless propaganda. Photos of the wreckage depict a five-story building with a section of the top floor missing and severe damage to window frames. The destruction is evident even on a children’s playground, while Corleone’s, a popular gathering place for volunteers and journalists traveling to the frontline, has been reduced to ruins.
The attacks on Pokrovsk highlight the ruthless and ruthless nature of the conflict in the region. Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a “double-tap attack,” with the sole purpose of killing emergency workers or firefighters who arrive at the scene of an initial strike. Fortunately, authorities received a warning about ten minutes before the second missile hit, enabling them to take additional measures to prevent even greater casualties.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have expressed their admiration for the bravery and heroism displayed by the emergency workers. They also mourned the loss of Andrii Omelchenko, a dedicated rescuer who lost his life in the second missile attack. Omelchenko, who was the deputy chief of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service in the region, was hailed as someone who dedicated half of his life to serving others.
This is not the first instance of a double-tap attack carried out by Russian forces. Another attack took place in a village in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region on Monday evening, killing civilians and injuring emergency crews who had arrived to provide assistance.
The situation remains tense as Ukraine and its allies condemn Russia’s actions and call for an end to the violence. The international community continues to closely monitor the situation in the region, hoping for a peaceful resolution and an end to the suffering of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.