POOLS OF BLOOD

Ukrainian Officials Outraged After Russian Shelling Kills 16 Civilians in Kherson

“When the enemy can achieve nothing on the battlefield, it strikes at peaceful cities.”

Pools of blood and piles of debris lined the outside of a hypermarket in Kherson, Ukraine, after heavy Russian shelling killed 16 civilians in the region on Wednesday. The shelling hit a hypermarket, a railway station, and residential buildings—12 victims were in the city of Kherson and were all either customers or workers at the hypermarket, the Interior Ministry said. An additional four were killed in nearby villages. Ukrainian officials are outraged at the attack on unsuspecting civilians. “When the enemy can achieve nothing on the battlefield, it strikes at peaceful cities,” Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhii Cherevatyi said. The prosecutor’s office said 22 additional civilians were injured in the city of Kherson. “We cannot negotiate with Russian murderers. They must be brought to justice. Or destroyed,” Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in a statement. Russia, which on Wednesday accused Ukraine of sending drones overnight to assassinate President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, has not commented on the Kherson attacks.