Ukrainian authorities have denied accusations by the Russians after a Ukrainian missile allegedly exploded in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk killing 20 civilians, Lorenzo Tondo reports.
On Monday, Russian defence ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that ‘’a Soviet-made Tochka-U missile hit the central part of the eastern city of Donetsk’’ after it was intercepted by the pro-Russian rebels’ forces.
According to Russian-backed separatists, cited by Russia’s TASS news agency, fragments of the missile landed in the city centre, killing 20 people. Another 28 civilians, including children, were seriously wounded by the missile, Konashenkov added, describing the attack as a “war crime”.
“People were waiting in line near an ATM and were standing at a bus stop,” local separatist leader Denis Pushilin told the Rossiya 24 network. “There are children among the dead,”
However, Ukrainian military spokesman Leonid Matyukhin denied the accusations, saying that the missile, that carried shrapnel warhead, was in fact a Russian rocket.
“It is unmistakably a Russian rocket or another munition, there’s not even any point talking about it,” Matyukhin told the press.
