Shelling in Ukraine Kill Eight, Many Injured

At least eight people have reportedly been killed and 17 injured by shelling in Ukraine, as both sides trade accusations of striking civilian areas.

Three people including a boy of five died and two were injured after Russia shelled a village in Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

They were killed after a shell struck outside a shop in Zelenivka, he said.

In occupied Donetsk, Ukrainian shelling left five dead and 15 injured, that city’s Russian-backed mayor said.

Alexei Kulemzin accused Ukrainian forces of firing 163 shells and 20 rockets at the city on Wednesday alone, with a 13-year-old child among the injured.

Alongside the claims of civilian deaths, he said “shells had hit residential homes and apartment buildings, and had damaged infrastructure.” Another Russian-backed official gave the same death toll but said 23 people had been injured.

The city in the east of Ukraine has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014 and the wider Donetsk region became one of four illegally annexed by Russia last year.

Following the attack on Zelenivka, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the boy who died was called Vsevolod, adding that he would have turned six in July.

“It was another artillery attack by terrorists, people were just on the street near an ordinary store,” he said in a video address, calling for the international community to put more pressure on Russia over its shelling of civilian areas.

Mr Prokudin little boy had been taken to hospital immediately, but he died before arriving there for treatment. A 16-year-old is currently undergoing surgery for his injuries, and an adult man was also hurt, he added.

The accusations of targeting civilians come after Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was subjected to heavy Russian missile attack in recent weeks.

Western officials have said Ukraine’s army is at an “increased state of readiness” ahead of a long-awaited counter-offensive to reclaim territory occupied by Russia.

BBC/Shakirat Sadiq