Russian Air Strike on Ukrainian Village Kills 23 Civilians in Donetsk
Deadly Attack on Pension Collectors
At least 23 civilians have been killed in a Russian air strike on the village of Yarova in eastern Ukraine, local officials confirmed on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the victims were “ordinary people” who had gathered to collect their pensions when the attack struck.
Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin added that emergency services were working at the scene, with as many people wounded as killed. Current reports indicate 18 others were injured.
Strike Near the Front Line
Yarova lies north of Slovyansk, close to the eastern front line where Russian forces continue their slow advance. The strike is among the deadliest recent attacks on Ukrainian civilians in the 42nd month of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Just weeks earlier, another Russian strike killed 23 people in Kyiv, while over the weekend Moscow launched its largest air assault on the capital since the start of the war, damaging government buildings in what Zelensky described as a “ruthless” bid to prolong the conflict.
Witness Accounts and Local Impact
The head of the local administration in nearby Lyman, Oleksandr Zhuravlyov, said the strike hit around 10:40 a.m. local time (07:40 GMT) as pensions were being distributed.
Images from the scene showed a damaged Ukrposhta postal service vehicle, commonly used to deliver pensions. Ukrposhta’s director confirmed a local employee was wounded in the strike and speculated that the attackers may have obtained the vehicle’s coordinates.
Zhuravlyov added that, because the front line is less than 10 km away, pension payments would now be relocated to safer areas.
Rising Civilian Casualties
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that three more civilians were killed earlier on Tuesday in separate Russian shelling of settlements across Donetsk.
Zelensky, who shared graphic footage of the Yarova attack online, condemned the strike, saying there were “no words” to describe the suffering inflicted. He urged the United States, European allies, and the G20 nations to respond firmly, declaring: “The world must not remain silent.”
Strategic Location at Risk
Yarova sits on a crucial railway line between Lyman and Izium, making it strategically significant. It is also less than 6 km from Novoselivka, where Russian forces are advancing toward the village outskirts.
A Call for Global Action
With the death toll in Yarova and across Donetsk rising, Ukraine continues to demand stronger international support. The attack highlights the vulnerability of civilians living near the front line, where even essential activities such as pension collection have now become life-threatening.