Ukrainian Crisis: Bombed-out Houses of Kramatorsk and Luganskaya Village

A large number of civilian casualties have been recorded as a result of Ukrainian airstrikes on settlements near Luhansk, Press Secretary of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Luhansk Vladimir Inogorodtsev told reporters.

Approximately ten civilians, including a 5-7 year old girl, have died as a result of bombardments and airstrikes on a street in the village of Luganskaya. “The village of Novaya Kondrashevka is in the same situation. We do not have precise data, but the situation is difficult,” Inogorodtsev stressed.

Several administrative buildings have been completely destroyed in the village of Luganskaya.

An electricity substation was destroyed in the area on Tuesday and power transmission lines were damaged as a result of artillery shelling. The local militia tried to repair the damaged facilities, but failed to do so due to additional airstrikes.

In the photo: a local extinguishes a fire in a Luganskaya village house that was hit by airstrikes from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A local woman in her house, damaged after a Ukrainian Armed Forces airstrike on the village of Luganskaya.

Locals in the village of Luganskaya after Ukrainian airstrikes.

Luhansk People’s Republic Press Officer Vladimir Inogorodtsev added that Ukrainian Special Forces “started attacking the city for no reason. Apparently, it’s an instruction from above: to kill whoever can be targeted. There are problems with the targeting systems. Thestrikes are not corrected and the bombs are not exploding.”

Inogorodtsev suggested the shells are not exploding, because they are unfit for use in military operations as “real combat units do not possess such shells.”

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced the end of a truce in the east of the country on July 1. Immediately thereafter, the military forces launched airstrikes on the central areas of Slaviansk and Kramatorsk and shelled the areas surrounding the villages of Semenivka and Mykolaivka, and the city of Yampol.

Kramatorsk and Slaviansk underwent crossfire from the Ukrainian Army and the local militia on Wednesday night, with several casualties, UNN (Ukrainian National News) reported citing civilians. “Kramatorsk shudders. … There are deceased and wounded there. The Yasnogorka village is under heavy fire,” online media outlet “Podrobnosti” (“Details”) reports citing the social media users.

In the photo: Kramatorsk residents are hiding in the bomb shelter in one of the plants.