May 27th 2024.
Over the weekend, a tragic event occurred in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. A Russian strike hit a large store, causing 18 people to lose their lives. Among the victims was a 12-year-old girl, making this the deadliest attack Ukraine has faced in recent weeks. According to regional officials, 48 people were also injured and five remain missing. The strike took place at the Epicenter hypermarket shopping centre, while nearly 200 people were inside.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city, has been the target of Russian attacks. In recent weeks, there has been a spate of similar incidents in the area. The security camera footage of the strike shows the building shaking on impact, followed by thick smoke and flames engulfing the site. Witnesses and police reported hearing two explosions during the attack.
Oleksandr Lutsenko, the director of the Epicenter shopping centre, was in his office on the second floor when the two bombs hit. He described the chaos and panic that ensued as people tried to evacuate the building. Lutsenko told CNN over the telephone, "I started to make my way down the corridor to the evacuation exit, but it was dark and covered in dust. There was no air to breathe. The employees were also leaving, and everyone was groping in the dark. We could hear the ceiling falling."
Once outside, Lutsenko saw the hypermarket in flames and black smoke everywhere. Some people had even jumped out of the windows in an attempt to escape. The Ukrainian interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, described the following hours as "hellish" and expressed gratitude to all those who helped put out the fires. Photographs taken inside the store after the attack show the complete destruction of the building, with burnt stock and collapsed walls.
One of the victims of the attack was identified as 12-year-old Maria Myronenko, who was shopping with her family at the time of the strike. Her mother, Iryna, who was a student at Ukrainian Catholic University, also lost her life in the attack. Maria's father was injured and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital. Her older sister, Nadiya, was not present during the attack and learned of her family's tragic fate while visiting her father in the hospital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as a "brutal attack" and blamed Russia for the ongoing violence in the region. He called on Ukraine's allies to provide more air defenses to protect its citizens and infrastructure. During a visit to Spain, Zelenskyy met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who announced a $US1.08 billion weapons deal to reinforce air defense systems and protect Ukraine from further attacks.
Meanwhile, the offensive by Russia near Kharkiv continues, with the city enduring intense attacks on a daily basis. In response, the United States announced that it will be sending $413 million in military assistance to Ukraine to help repel Russia's assault. The top US diplomat, Antony Blinken, stated that this assistance is urgently needed to support Ukrainian troops in their fight against Russian forces.
There was also news that French military trainers may soon be arriving in Ukraine to assist in the conflict. However, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry clarified that while they have expressed interest in welcoming foreign instructors, no official decision has been made yet. The ministry also stated that discussions with France and other countries are ongoing. The French Defense Ministry also confirmed these discussions and stated that they are working with Ukraine to understand their exact needs. This possibility was first discussed at a conference in Paris in February, where French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that deploying military trainers to Ukraine could be a way for western allies to provide support in the conflict.
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