Ukraine War: ‘Horrifying’ Attack On Hroza Village Leaves 51 Dead

The White House has condemned a “horrifying” attack on a cafe and grocery store in Ukraine’s Hroza Village in Kharkiv region that killed 51 people.

Meanwhile, British PM Rishi Sunak said the strike “demonstrated the depths of depravity Russian forces are willing to sink to,” according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile slammed into a cafe and grocery store on Thursday, during a gathering to mourn a Ukrainian soldier who had died in action elsewhere.

It Was “No Blind Strike”: Zelensky

Hroza is located more than 30 km from the frontline town of Kupiansk. The village has a population of just 330 people, with 60 attending the memorial service.

Interior Minister Igor Klymenko called the attack a “terrible tragedy” on Ukrainian television, stressing every family in the village was affected by it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was “no blind strike”, describing the attack on Telegram as “a demonstrably brutal Russian crime.”

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“There Will Be No Impunity For War Crimes”

EU’s chief diplomat said: “Russia’s leadership, all commanders, perpetrators and accomplices of these atrocities will be held to account. There will be no impunity for war crimes.”

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock tweeted: “As long as bombs rain down on supermarkets and cafes, we do everything for Ukraine to protect itself.”

On Thursday, at the meeting of European leaders in Spain, Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Berlin would supply Kyiv with a new Patriot air defence system.

Son Of The Soldier Being Reburied Also Killed

Russia did not immediately comment on the Hroza attack. While Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, many have been killed in attacks that have hit residential areas.

Regional police investigator Serhiy Bolvinov said: “We’ll use DNA laboratories to identify the bodies,” adding “We only found bits and pieces and remains of the bodies.”

Prosecutors told public broadcaster Suspilne that the son of the soldier being reburied, also a soldier, was also killed in the disturbing Hroza village attack.