During his Sunday address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that at least 60 people sheltering at a school in Luhansk were likely killed by a Russian airstrike.
Located in Bilohorivka, 60 miles northwest of the Russian-controlled Luhansk, about 90 people had been taking shelter in the school. Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said emergency services rescued 30 people, of which seven were injured. Commenting on the remaining people, he noted, “Unfortunately, they are probably dead. Because the building collapsed. Besides, an air bomb is not a missile, its explosion produces extremely high temperatures. That’s why most likely people haven’t survived.”
Dozens of people are feared dead after a Russian airstrike leveled a school in eastern Ukraine. If the death toll is as high as local officials fear, it could be one of the deadliest single attacks since Russia renewed its offensive in the region. https://t.co/AYK201oqx4 pic.twitter.com/q41QExXU7R
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 8, 2022
Haidai revealed that the attack took place at about 6 pm on Saturday, followed by attacks in surrounding areas, which made evacuation impossible. “Right now they are asking us, begging us to get them out, but we can’t because everything is now under shelling. Around 70 people wanted to be evacuated today. We sent a bus, but it turned around and went back. Not just the village, but also a highway is under shelling,” he claimed. He also disclosed the death of two children in a missile strike in the Pryvole village just eight miles north of the school.
Russia intensified its assault in southern and eastern Ukraine over the weekend ahead of Monday’s Victory Day celebrations. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared that he aims to capture the Donetsk and Luhansk region by May 9.
According to Ukrainian sources, Russian troops have made significant progress in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region and captured the small town of Popasna. “Unfortunately, our troops have actually retreated somewhat from Popasna because the town was shelled for more than two months,” Haidai divulged.
⚡️ Guterres ‘appalled’ by Russian bombing of Ukrainian school.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 9, 2022
The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released a statement on May 8 condemning Russia’s attack on a school in Bilohorivka, Ukraine, where many people were sheltering.
The city of Odesa came under repeated missile attacks, with Russian forces shooting down two Ukrainian bombers and a helicopter. Odesa authorities reported that Russian attacks had damaged at least 250 apartments, while the Ukrainian military confirmed the sinking of at least one Russian boat.
In addition, Russia has continued its assault on the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol. Illya Samoilenko, a lieutenant in the Azov regiment in Mariupol, claimed that if caught, his fellow soldiers would be executed by the Russians. “We are witnesses of Russian crimes. Surrender is not an option because Russia is not interested in our lives,” he added.
Despite Russia’s air and land assault, the Ukrainian government confirmed on Saturday that all elderly people, women, and children have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol after a week-long operation carried out by the United Nations and the Red Cross. Thousands of Ukrainians, civilians and soldiers included, have been holed up at the plant following a major assault on Mariupol by Russia.
War’s most horrific moments are when 🇺🇦 civilians die at once
— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 8, 2022
Mariupol Theater– ~600 dead;
Bilohorivka School – 60 dead;
Kramatorsk train station – 59 dead;
Two apartment houses in Borodyanka - 41 dead.
We need more air defence systems to protect millions of innocent peaceful 🇺🇦!
Following Russian airstrikes on the Luhansk school, the G7 nations—the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy—declared that they would ban the import of Russian oil. In a statement, the G7 countries said, “Cutting out Russian oil supplies will hit hard at the main artery of [President Vladimir] Putin’s economy and deny him the revenue he needs to fund his war,” adding, “We will ensure that we do so in a timely and orderly fashion, and in ways that provide time for the world to secure alternative supplies.”
Furthermore, on Sunday, the UK announced $2 billion in new sanctions, including import tariffs on precious metals and export bans, on Russia and Belarus. In a similar vein, the US Department of the Treasury announced fresh sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. They target prominent entities and people, including board members on two of the country’s most important banks, a state-supported weapons manufacturer, and state-controlled television stations.
Meanwhile, US first lady Jill Biden and Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau visited Ukraine on Sunday. Following his visit, Trudeau pledged an additional $38.7 in military assistance million to Ukraine. Furthermore, speaking to the German newspaper Welt, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Putin to end the war and withdraw forces from Ukraine and resume peace negotiations.