Russian assault on Kharkiv purchasing centre ‘utterly unacceptable’, says senior UN official | EUROtoday

“I am appalled and shocked by the terrifying news arriving from Kharkiv”, mentioned Ms. Brown in a press release. “This afternoon, in broad daylight as people – despite all the horrors they endure every day in this city – were trying to go about their day, their lives were shattered by yet another attack by the Russian Armed Forces. The strike hit a busy shopping centre with scores of civilian casualties and massive damage to civilian facilities”.

The senior UN official added that assaults by Russian forces hitting civilians and civilian infrastructure should cease, and famous that deliberately directing an assault in opposition to civilian infrastructure is strictly prohibited beneath worldwide humanitarian regulation.

The strike is reported to have hit the Epicentr Ok dwelling enchancment retailer within the north of the town. In a social media submit, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, described it as “pure terrorism”. According to UN sources, a second assault on Saturday is believed to have induced some 12 casualties.

Following Russian advances, the northeastern Kharkiv area is now on the frontline of the conflict in Ukraine. According to a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, about 35 civilians within the area have been killed and 137 injured since Russian armed forces launched cross-border assaults on 10 May; greater than half of these killed and injured had been over 60 years previous and had been unable or unwilling to depart their houses.