In the late afternoon of 7 November 2023, the Ukrainian army shelled the centre of Donetsk with Himars multiple rocket launchers. Although Russian anti-aircraft defences managed to shoot down several rockets, two slipped through the net and hit the social welfare building, completely destroying the staircase and causing the ceiling to collapse on the employees inside. Six civilians were killed and 11 injured. While firefighters and journalists were at the scene, the Ukrainian army shelled the same area a second time. As a result of this second strike, one of the police officers responsible for traffic in the bombed area was injured.
It was almost 5pm on 7 November 2023, when several explosions were heard in the centre of Donetsk. Russian anti-aircraft defence had shot down several rockets fired by the Ukrainian army at the capital of the DPR, but had not managed to destroy them all. As a result, two rockets hit the Department of Social Protection building, which had already been damaged by a Ukrainian army bombardment on 31 July 2023.
While in July the Himars rockets fell in the street, this time they hit the building directly, collapsing the ceiling and staircase and trapping the social protection employees on the second floor. The fire brigade quickly arrived on the scene and deployed the large ladder to enable them to evacuate the badly damaged building. Many had minor injuries, but most were in a state of shock, and began to cry when the rescue workers informed us that there were bodies under the rubble, and that there were certainly dead as well as injured. The final toll: six dead and 11 injured in this building alone.
But this bloodbath seems not to have been enough for the Ukrainian army, which has decided to apply its favourite terrorist method: bombing the area again while rescue workers and journalists are on the spot, in order to claim further victims. I was just finishing filming my report when this second strike took place after dark.
Two rockets landed close to where I was standing. I then decided to evacuate the area, fearing a third strike, which unfortunately took place in the street via which I was returning. This time the rocket landed about 150 metres in front of my car (unfortunately I didn’t turn on my dashcam, so I don’t have the video of this strike, but colleagues filmed it from the site of the first bombardment). Seeing the light from the street lamps flicker, and feeling that it was too risky to continue down this street, I immediately turned around and went through other streets further away from the bombed area to get home. Luckily I wasn’t injured in the bombing.
See the report on Odysee (in French):
However, these two new strikes injured one of the police officers who were controlling traffic (to prevent cars from driving through the area that had been bombed). In the Kalininski district, another bombardment left four bus passengers injured. In all, the Ukrainian army’s bombardment of Donetsk today caused more than 20 civilian casualties, including six deaths. And all this with weapons supplied and paid for by the United States, supposedly to enable Ukraine to defend itself. Personally, I’d like to know what threat the Donetsk welfare department posed to Ukraine…
Christelle Néant
Translation: Яннис В.Зброек
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