A Russian airstrike killed more than 20 civilians in the village of Yarova, eastern Ukraine, while they were collecting pension payments, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday, September 9.

The strike hit the settlement, located about 24 km from Sloviansk and several kilometres behind the front line in Donetsk region. Another 21 people were wounded, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin.

“Directly on people. Ordinary civilians. At the very moment when pensions were being disbursed,” Zelenskiy wrote on X, posting video footage that showed bodies lying on the ground among debris.

He called for a strong response from Kyiv’s allies. “The world must not remain silent. A response is needed from the United States. A response is needed from Europe. A response is needed from the G20.”

Russian airstrike on Ukrainian village killed over 20, - Zelenskiy

Russia has not commented on the incident. Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, though tens of thousands have been killed since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, condemned the attack as “yet another confirmation of systemic terror against the civilian population of Ukraine.”