“People were queuing to leave the occupied territory, pick up their relatives and bring aid,” denounces the head of the Zaporizhia Regional Military Authority, Oleksandr Starukh.
At least 23 people have died and 30 have been injured this Friday due to an attack by Russian forces against a “humanitarian convoy” in the Zaporizhia region, as reported by the Ukrainian authorities. The aggression, recorded around nine in the morning, occurred just a few hours after President Vladimir Putin formalized the decrees for the annexation of this territory to Russia, as well as those of Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk. Precisely, most of the victims were part of a caravan of relatives and relatives of residents of Zaporizhia who were trying to get them out of the region before the act of accession that, according to Muscovite legislation, will make them Russian citizens.
The first information indicates that the invading Army has carried out two bombardments, the second of which has devastated the convoy. “At seven in the morning, Zaporizhia was brutally attacked by the enemy. After some time, a second attack was carried out,” said the spokesman for the Ukrainian Presidency, Kyrylo Tymoshenko. According to his account, the Russians launched 16 missiles that were intercepted by the Ukrainian air defense systems. In a second wave, four rockets exploded on the outskirts of the city, at a concentration point for vehicles entering and leaving the occupied territory. “People were queuing to leave, to pick up their relatives or to receive help. There are dead and wounded, “said a witness. “Emergency teams are working on the spot.” October 1 has been declared a day of mourning in Zaporizhia.
❗❗❗ Consequences of a rocket attack on a civilian humanitarian convoy on its way out of the regional center in Zaporizhzhia region.
23 dead and 28 wounded! pic.twitter.com/r1Irw6ltX9UkrArmyBlog ???????? (@UkrArmyBlog) September 30, 2022
The head of the Regional Military Authority in the area, Oleksandr Staruj, has confirmed that “the enemy has launched a rocket attack on a humanitarian convoy leaving a regional center.” “It is known that there are 23 dead and 28 wounded. All civilians, our compatriots », he added.
Many of the victims have died as a result of shrapnel. In fact, the missiles have exploded a few meters from the cars and some of their occupants have died inside the cabins themselves. The images and the first testimonies speak of harrowing scenes. Several drivers have lost their lives instantly, to the extent that medical teams have found them still clinging to the wheel. Health sources do not rule out that the number of deaths will increase in the coming hours as some of the injured had very serious injuries. “Burn in hell, you damn rascals!” the head of the Regional Military Authority, Oleksandr Starukh, wrote on social media in reference to the Russian gunners.