Ukraine: Russian bombing leaves eight dead and 21 injured in Lysytchansk

Europe 1 with AFP 9:40 p.m., June 27, 2022

At least eight Ukrainian civilians were killed and 21 others injured in a Russian bombardment on Monday as they collected water in Lysytchansk (east), twin city of Severodonetsk recently conquered by Moscow forces, announced the governor regional.

"The Russians shot at a crowd of people"

"The Russians fired into a crowd of people with Hurricane multiple rocket launchers as civilians were collecting water from a cistern. Eight residents were killed, 21 were taken to hospital," it said. Telegram Serguiï Gaïdaï, governor of the Lugansk region.

Lysytchansk is the last major city left to conquer for the Russians in the Lugansk region, one of the two provinces of the Donbass industrial basin.

"Catastrophic destruction"

This locality is the next target of the Russian forces after their total occupation of Severodonetsk, after several weeks of fighting which ravaged the two cities and which also caused the death of dozens of civilians.

It is the last major city that remains to be conquered for the Russians in the region of Lugansk, one of the two provinces of the industrial basin of the Donbass.

The Ukrainian army announced on Friday its withdrawal from Severodonetsk to better defend Lyssytchansk, where street clashes are taking place according to pro-Russian separatists who fight alongside Moscow forces.

Mr Gaïdaï had reported last week that the fighting was causing "catastrophic destruction" in Lysytchansk, which had around 100,000 inhabitants before the war.