Russian missile strike kills dozens of Ukrainian civilians

At least 50 civilians died Thursday when Russian missiles struck a cafe and grocery store in the village of Hroza outside the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk. Video footage showed search and rescue crews digging through rubble and carrying bodies away in blue tarps. Kyiv officials said the strike was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian officials call the strike a terrorist attack, with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov alleging that Russia intentionally targeted the cafe in the late morning to inflict the most casualties.

Has Russia said anything about the attack? Moscow officials have not responded to the attack on Hroza and have previously denied targeting civilian areas. But Russian missiles have regularly struck civilian areas, including shopping malls, movie theaters, and apartment buildings since March 2022. Russia’s strike comes about a day after Ukrainian forces said their drones struck and damaged a Russian defense complex in Belgorod. 

Dig deeper: Read William Fleeson’s report on Ukrainian Christians sharing the gospel on the front lines.