At least 24 civilians were killed and another 85 injured
as the city of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine was heavily shelled by Kiev forces on
Friday and Saturday, media reported.
The bombardment of the city, home to over 400,000
people, began at around 06:00 PM local time on Friday and went on during the
night and through Saturday morning.
Kiev forces hit 22 buildings, including a school and a
kindergarten. Self-defense forces told the LifeNews Channel that 24 have died,
adding that the death toll may rise as shelling of the city continues.
An eyewitness told RT that around 10 people were killed
at a bus stop in the Yubileynoe village, which is also a part of Lugansk.
“Peaceful civilians were torn
into pieces at the bus stop,” Viktor
said, adding that the attack by Kiev forces was “aimed exclusively at the
civilian population.”
“They’re targeting private houses... There are no checkpoints, no troops, no self-defense forces there,” he said.
“They’re targeting private houses... There are no checkpoints, no troops, no self-defense forces there,” he said.
The press service of the self-proclaimed Lugansk
People’s Republic claimed that government forces used mortars and heavy
artillery in their assault. Five people died on Friday and 15 more on Saturday.
“It was the worst shelling of Lugansk that I’ve ever seen,” said Aleksey Toporov from the Lugansk People’s Republic, as cited by the Russkaya Vesna website.
“It was the worst shelling of Lugansk that I’ve ever seen,” said Aleksey Toporov from the Lugansk People’s Republic, as cited by the Russkaya Vesna website.
Shelling over night has damaged several power lines,
said Manolisa Pilavova, first deputy mayor of Lugansk.
“At the moment, about 60 percent of people are without electricity,” Pilavova told Interfax-Ukraine.
The intensity of Ukrainian fire decreased midday on Saturday, after self-defense forces counter-attacked Ukrainian military positions in the Lugansk airport, the press service of the Lugansk People’s Republic said. Airborn units, who were stationed there, suffered “serious damage.”
“At the moment, about 60 percent of people are without electricity,” Pilavova told Interfax-Ukraine.
The intensity of Ukrainian fire decreased midday on Saturday, after self-defense forces counter-attacked Ukrainian military positions in the Lugansk airport, the press service of the Lugansk People’s Republic said. Airborn units, who were stationed there, suffered “serious damage.”
Kiev’s military crackdown on the southeast of Ukraine
started in mid-April, after residents in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions
refused to recognize the coup-imposed authorities in Kiev and demanded
federalization.
The Ukrainian military and National Guard resorted to airstrikes and shelling in their struggle against self-defense forces in Donetsk and Lugansk.
On July 10, Ukraine’s deputy health minister said 478 civilians have been killed in the conflict, with nearly 1,400 people receiving injuries, but the death toll has surely increased drastically since then.
The Ukrainian military and National Guard resorted to airstrikes and shelling in their struggle against self-defense forces in Donetsk and Lugansk.
On July 10, Ukraine’s deputy health minister said 478 civilians have been killed in the conflict, with nearly 1,400 people receiving injuries, but the death toll has surely increased drastically since then.
Source: Russia Today 26-07-2014
