At least eight people were killed and four injured Thursday when Russia blew up a bus stop in the frontline town of Toritsk in eastern Ukraine, the governor of Donetsk region said.
“According to preliminary information, there was artillery shelling. They got into a public transport stop, at that time there was a crowd, ”Pavel Kirilenko wrote on Telegram.
Three of the four victims are reported to be children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday urged residents of the region to leave quickly due to Russian bombing and problems with water supply and heating.
“I appeal to all residents of the region: do not be a target of the Russians! Leave without delay!” Kirilenko wrote in his post. Several Ukrainian towns and villages were hit by Russian bombardments on Thursday, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkiewicz said, including Mykolaiv in the south, where two blocks of houses were damaged. In Kharkiv, the country’s second city, local authorities reported Russian rocket attacks on industrial areas. Ukrainian forces are counter-offensive in the south of the country, where they say they have recaptured more than 50 villages from Russian forces.