The strike on the village of Groza, in the east of the country, caused turmoil in the international community. According to the latest report from the Ukrainian authorities, 51 people have died.
At least 51 people, including a child, lost their lives on Thursday October 5 in Groza. This small village in eastern Ukraine was struck around 1:15 p.m. (local time) as a group of people gathered for the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier who died in combat, said a spokesperson for the regional prosecutor’s office. Six people were also injured in this attack attributed to Russia, which shocked the international community. Other strikes marked the day of Thursday October 5, here is what you should remember.
“A totally deliberate act of terrorism” for the Ukrainian president
Volodymyr Zelensky was in Spain on Thursday to attend a meeting with European leaders when he learned of the tragedy. The Ukrainian president immediately denounced, in front of the press, a “inhumane terrorist attack”against this village located near the front line.
The group affected by this strike was gathered in a store and in a café in this town of 330 people, located about thirty kilometers west of Kupiansk. Regional Governor Oleg Synegoubov described the Groza tragedy as the deadliest attack in the Kharkiv region since the start of the Russian invasion. Three days of mourning were declared.
“Appalling”, “Russian atrocities” at “an even more sinister level”: the international community in shock
The White House spokesperson spoke of an act “terrible” experienced Thursday by Ukraine in Groza. This attack “bloody” also made the head of diplomacy of the European Union: “Russian atrocities reach an even more sinister level”wrote Josep Borrell on his X account (formerly Twitter).
“Intentional attacks against civilians are war crimes”continued Josep Borell, warning the “Russian leaders”THE “commanders”THE “authors and accomplices of these atrocities” that they “must be held accountable”he then clarified in a press release.
This attack in Groza demonstrates, for the British Prime Minister, “the degree of depravity to which Russian forces are prepared to stoop”commented Rishi Sunak.
“Clear agreements” between Europeans and Ukrainians
“It is possible to protect people against such attacks (…) only with the help of anti-aircraft defense”, hammered Volodymyr Zelensky from Granada (Spain), at the summit of the European Political Community which brings together nearly 50 European leaders. The Ukrainian President spoke about the delivery of a new American Patriot system to kyiv, after his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Spanish summit.
While the political crisis in Washington leaves doubts about the continuation of aid provided to kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky also claimed to have received “clear agreements” during the Grenada summit. Of the European countries promised to deliver anti-aircraft and artillery defense systems. An announcement “very [importante] before winter”commented Volodymyr Zelensky before thanking theSpain, Italy, France, Germany and Great Britain, on his Telegram account.
kyiv, on the other hand, loses the military aid provided by Slovakia. Following the electoral success of parties opposed to aid to neighboring Ukraine, Bratislava has decided to freeze its decisions on military support for Kiev, pending the new government, the presidency announced.
Kherson again targeted by bombings
Shortly before 9:30 a.m. (local time), the center of Kherson was bombed, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine announced in a statement. A man and a woman, who were in the street, were killed. A hospital in the region was also “partially destroyed” in the night from Wednesday to Thursday, injuring two people.
kyiv claims to have shot down almost all of the drones sent by Russia to Ukraine during the night.
Russian city attacked by cluster munitions
Earlier on Thursday, the governor of Russia’s Kursk region accused the Ukrainian army of firing cluster munitions at the town of Rylsk, near the border with Ukraine.
Roman Starovoit affirmed that the use of this criticized weapon caused a civilian injury. Cluster munitions are a sort of hollow shell, which itself contains other smaller bombs, capable of dispersing several hundred small explosive charges. The United States announced at the beginning of July that it would deliver this type of weapon to Ukraine.
More than 26,000 Ukrainians missing since the start of the conflict
Since the start of the ruse invasion, in February 2022, 26,000 Ukrainians have disappeared and have not been heard from again. “Among them, 11,000 are civilians and around 15,000, [sont] soldiers”, announced Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko on national television.
This provisional assessment only concerns Ukrainians whose data could be “officially verified”adds the minister’s spokesperson. “This figure could still increase” as the checks continue. Ukraine does not reveal all of its human losses in this war, in particular its military losses.