Maternity hospital hit amid Ukrainian shelling - DPR

RT
Mon, 13 Jun 2022 18:54 UTC

© Sputnik/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky

Firefighter in Donetsk

A maternity hospital has been damaged amid massive artillery shelling of the capital city of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) by Ukrainian troops on Monday, local sources report. The hospital's facade has been hit, with the building's windows shattered, images from the scene show.

The hospital's patients and staff had been evacuated and were therefore not injured in the shelling, the DPR's Health Ministry outlined.

Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy has said that he saw no condemnation by Western media of the shelling of a maternity hospital in Donetsk by Ukrainian troops.

On Monday, a Sputnik correspondent reported that a Ukrainian shell hit the roof of a maternity hospital in Donetsk; the women were evacuated to the basement. Thanks to the prompt actions of the employees, no one was wounded.

"Where is Western Media reaction? All those @BBCWorld, @ReutersWorld, @AFP etc who were shouting about damage to maternity hospital in Mariupol used by Ukrainian nationalists as a firing position? #Ukraine is deliberately targeting civilians. Will we hear a word of condemnation?"

Ukrainian forces have subjected residential areas of Donetsk - as well as other locations across the DPR - to rocket and conventional artillery shelling over the past few days. The Monday shelling turned out to be particularly heavy, with local authorities and correspondents on the ground reporting dozens of hits across the city.

Ukrainian forces reportedly used assorted weaponry to target the city, including Uragan and Grad multiple rocket launchers, as well as NATO-caliber 155mm artillery pieces, recently supplied by the West to add to Kiev's firepower in its fight against Russia.

The massive bombardment has killed at least 4 people, including a child, with 22 more injured, local authorities said. Ukraine has not yet officially commented on the latest attack.

Russia sent troops into the neighboring state in late February, following Ukraine's failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow's eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered protocols were designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.

Comment: DPR: Ukraine has 'crossed all lines' and Russia condemns 'barbaric' shelling of Donetsk.

© Sputnik/Sergey Averin/Konstantin Mihalchevskiy

Blaze from artillery shelling in Donetsk • June 13, 2022
Firefighters work at site of shelling in Donetsk

The Donetsk Peoples' Republic (DPR) is requesting additional "allied forces" to help in its fight against Ukrainian forces, its head, Denis Pushilin, outlined on Monday in a video address. The move comes amid reported heavy artillery shelling by Kiev of residential areas in Donetsk and other locations across the republic.

"The enemy has literally crossed all lines. Prohibited methods of warfare are being used. The residential areas and the central districts of the city of Donetsk are under artillery shelling, other cities and towns of the DPR are also under fire."

Therefore, the republic is requesting Russia to deploy additional forces to help in the ongoing conflict, the official stated.

"An understanding was reached that all the necessary additional forces of the allied troops, primarily of Russia, will be deployed."

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has lashed out at Kiev after authorities in Donetsk reported that indiscriminate strikes on the city by Ukrainian forces had left five civilians dead and almost 40 injured on Monday.

"We're seeing absolutely barbaric shelling of civilian facilities. They're barbaric. In recent days, we've witnessed these shellings intensifying."

The previous day, the People's Republic of Donetsk (DPR) said its capital had suffered the worst shelling since 2015, with strikes hitting a busy market and a maternity hospital.

The deputy commander and press secretary of the republic's militia, Eduard Basurin, later clarified that Pushilin was hoping that Moscow could deploy its ground- and air-launched missiles to "help destroy the Western weapons" that were allegedly used by Kiev in the shelling.

When asked whether such assistance would be provided, Peskov responded by saying "it's the prerogative of the [Russian] Defense Ministry as it's related to the special military operation" in Ukraine.

However, he noted that President Vladimir Putin had made it clear that "the main and principal goal of the special military operation is ensuring the safety and protection of the people in Lugansk and Donetsk."