Ukrainian officials say 23 people have been killed and 28 injured in an attack by Russian forces on a civilian convoy leaving the city of Zaporizhzhia.
“The enemy launched a rocket attack on a civilian humanitarian convoy on the way out of Zaporizhzhia,” Oleksandr Starukh, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, said on Telegram:
“People were in line to leave for the temporarily occupied territory, to pick up their relatives, to deliver aid.”
Images and video from the scene show wrecked vehicles and some bodies on the road.
Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the occupied city of Melitopol, said on Telegram: “People leave Zaporizhzhia every day to support their relatives, deliver vital medicines to the civilian population and return back.
It is impossible as of now to even count the number of dead and wounded people.”
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office, says that a total of 16 missiles were launched by Russian forces at the area where the civilian convoy was struck.
Tymoshenko said on Telegram: “According to preliminary information, 16 missiles were launched using the S-300 missile system. Twenty-three dead and 28 wounded.”
“Four missile strikes were launched in the area of the auto market, as well as at the point of concentration of vehicles and citizens for departure/entry to/from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. There was a column of vehicles with civilians on their way to the temporarily occupied territory to pick up their relatives,” Tymoshenko said.
Russian forces frequently use S-300 missiles in the Ukrainian conflict.
