Ukraine has not made any statement about this event, amid accusations from Russia and images released by international media.
A Ukrainian artillery attack on a crowded shopping area in the city of Donetsk, which is under Russian control in eastern Ukraine, has killed at least 25 people and wounded 20 more, local officials said.
The mayor of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, who was appointed by Russia, said the shells had landed on a busy district with a market and shops.
The leader of the Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, also installed by Russia, said rescue workers were at the site and that two children were among the injured. He said the suburb of Tekstilshchik was hit by shells of 155 mm and 152 mm calibre from the west.
The local authorities have announced that Monday will be a day of mourning. Reuters images and footage from the scene showed people weeping, some saying they had lost family members, and corpses in the snow near a market.
Videos from Russian state media showed damaged storefronts and glass, as well as what looked like bodies on the ground. Tatiana, a local resident, said she had heard a shell flying over her head and had taken cover under her stall. “There was smoke, people shouted, a woman sobbed,” she said to a local media outlet.
“There is nothing military here. It’s just a market,” another resident said to the same outlet. “This is one of the worst attacks in a long time.”
The Russian foreign ministry condemned the attack, saying “Ukraine should not be a source of security threats and terrorism”. It also said: “The Kyiv regime’s terrorist acts clearly show its lack of political will to achieve peace and resolve this conflict diplomatically.”
Ukraine has not made any statement about the incident.
