Moscow blames Ukraine for strikes that killed at least 28 in Russian-controlled Donetsk; Kyiv denies attack

Shelling killed at least 28 people and injured 30, including two children, near a market in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, according to Russian officials. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Kyiv denied responsibility.

Shelling killed at least 28 people and injured 30, including two children, near a market in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, according to Russian officials. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Kyiv denied responsibility. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that a market and shops in the city’s Kirovsky district were targeted with multiple launch rocket systems, with the shelling reportedly coming from the direction of Avdiivka. Kyiv “once again committed a barbaric terrorist act against the civilian population of Russia,” the Russian ministry said. “There are a large number of victims.” CNN is unable to independently verify this claim. Ukraine’s armed forces said they were not responsible for the shelling attacks. “The Russians are spreading [mis-]information about the strike on a market in Donetsk. We responsibly declare that the forces under the control of the Tavria military formation did not engage in combat operations in this case,” a statement on the Facebook page of the armed forces’ Tavria command said. “Russia must be held accountable for the lives of the Ukrainians taken,” it added. Russia has responded with outrage to previous Ukrainian attacks but has been responsible for thousands of civilians deaths following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.