Brutal Russian strike on Yarova in Donetsk region kills elderly and post office workers
Photo: Russian forces strike Yarova during pension payouts
Russian forces dropped an aerial bomb on Yarova in the Donetsk region. The enemy struck a pension payout site, killing dozens of people.
Everything we know about the tragedy, where Yarova is located, and how the world is reacting to yet another Russian war crime - in RBC-Ukraine’s material below.
Strike during pension distribution
The attack took place today, September 9, around 11 a.m. local time. Russian troops carried out an airstrike with a guided aerial bomb on the village of Yarova in the Lyman community of Kramatorsk district in the Donetsk region.
At that moment, civilians were receiving pensions at a mobile Ukrposhta post office. The strike hit directly among civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the first to report the Russian attack on Yarova.
“A brutally savage Russian airstrike with an aerial bomb on the rural settlement of Yarova in the Donetsk region. Directly on people. Ordinary civilians. At the very moment when pensions were being disbursed,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Ukrainian President also stressed that such Russian strikes must not go unanswered by the world.
“The Russians continue destroying lives while avoiding new strong sanctions and new strong blows. The world must not remain silent. The world must not remain idle. A response is needed from the United States. A response is needed from Europe. A response is needed from the G20. Strong actions are needed to make Russia stop bringing death,” Zelenskyy added.
Dead and wounded victims
As of 1:00 p.m. Kyiv time, 21 people were reported dead, with about 20 more wounded.
The Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office has already launched a pre-trial investigation into the war crime (Part 2, Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code).
Law enforcement officers are currently on site. Since investigative actions are ongoing, the number of dead and wounded may change.
An investigative team, bomb disposal experts, and the White Angel special police unit have also arrived at the crime scene.
"Among the victims are local pensioners and a Ukrposhta crew. Police are working at the scene," Donetsk region police reported.
Photo: consequences of the guided aerial bomb strike by Russian troops on Yarova (facebook.com/pgo.gov.ua)
Later, the death toll had risen to 23. Head of the Lyman City Military Administration Oleksandr Zhuravlov told Ukrainian news agency Suspilne that 18 people were wounded, three of them in critical condition.
"Most of the dead are elderly pensioners. At the site, police, rescuers, military, and administration staff are going door-to-door to establish the exact number of dead and wounded from the strike on Yarova," Zhuravlov added.
Ukrposhta on strike: Someone leaks coordinates
Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilianskyi said one of the wounded was a company employee, the head of the local branch. Thanks to immediate help from a driver, her life is not in danger - she is now in the hospital.
"Since the start of the war, we have constantly changed safety procedures, and as seen in the video, the vehicle was parked under trees to reduce the risk of being spotted. But apparently, someone leaked the coordinates," Smilianskyi said.
Ukrposhta CEO added that Ukrposhta has agreed with the military administration to change pension payout procedures in the frontline zone.
Photo: Russian forces attacked pensioners in Yarova, Donetsk region (facebook.com/ukrposhtaceo)
"I won’t comment publicly on details in order to balance safety with providing people with essential services," Smilianskyi added.
Where Yarova is located
Yarova lies about 8 kilometers from the frontline.
The settlement is located in the southwestern Donetsk region on the Siverskyi Donets River in a picturesque natural area surrounded by forests and hills. A railway passes nearby, with a station at Yarova.
Just half a kilometer away is the Martynenkove Swamp ornithological reserve of local significance. The Yarova forest is part of the Holy Mountains National Nature Park.
In the past, the village had a school, kindergarten, post office, sports facilities, a clinic, pharmacy, library, shops, and other social institutions, as well as a community center for cultural events.
Map: Yarova is located near the front line (deepstatemap.live)
In 2022, Yarova was occupied by Russian forces during the full-scale invasion but was liberated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on September 19.
Reactions to Russian strike on Yarova
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Russia’s strike on civilians in Yarova a horrific crime that demands global condemnation and decisive action.
"We urge the world to speak out and act immediately. We call on European partners, the United States, G20 members, and all who value human life and the UN Charter to take action," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said.
According to Sybiha, the Foreign Ministry is already informing Ukraine’s partners and international organizations about the details of this crime.
"We expect strong responses. Russian criminals must face justice for this and other atrocities. Russian propaganda claims to be ‘saving’ people in the Donetsk region, but in reality, it is dropping massive air bombs on people who came to receive pensions. Russia brings only death, horror, and destruction," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko
The Prime Minister also reacted to the strike and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
"Russia keeps showing the world that it is a terrorist state. It does not seek peace - it seeks to kill and destroy," Svyrydenko emphasized.
Sources: statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and government representatives, comments by Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilianskyi, data from the Prosecutor General’s Office, National Police, and others.
