A Reuters journalist is missing, and two others were injured following a Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine, the news agency reported on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks claimed the lives of 12 civilians across Ukraine in the past 24 hours.
On a day marked by continued violence in the two-and-a-half-year war, six more civilians were killed in Ukrainian strikes on Russian border regions, Moscow Times stated quoting the Russian officials.
These attacks on both sides occurred just a day after Kyiv celebrated its independence from the Soviet Union and following a prisoner-of-war exchange between the conflicting nations.
Despite Ukraine’s push into the Kursk region, Moscow has continued its strikes and advances in eastern Ukraine.
In Kramatorsk, a search and rescue operation was underway after a strike late Saturday on the Hotel Sapphire, where Reuters said six of its journalists covering the war were staying.
Kramatorsk, the last major city under Ukrainian control in the Donetsk region, is frequently used as a base for aid workers and foreign journalists.
“One of our colleagues is unaccounted for, while two others have been hospitalized,” Reuters stated, adding that it was “urgently seeking more information.”
The agency confirmed that “three other colleagues have been accounted for” and said it was “working with the authorities in Kramatorsk and supporting our colleagues and their families.”
Vadym Filashkin, the head of the Donetsk region, earlier reported that two journalists were injured and one was missing, noting that the strike occurred “in the middle of the night.”
He added that a rescue operation was ongoing and that “the rubble was being cleared.”
‘Scary to go to bed’ Ukrainian prosecutors reported that the hotel was hit by a Russian Iskander missile at 10:35 p.m. on Saturday, with the strike also damaging a nearby building.
Kramatorsk is located around 20 kilometers from the frontline, with concerns growing as Russian forces continue their advance into eastern Ukraine.
Many residents were either sleeping or resting at the time of the strike.
“I was watching a film on my phone, and then… there was such a noise, and the glass started smashing,” 66-year-old Natalia said.
Having already evacuated once after a similar experience, she now contemplates leaving again, saying, “It’s scary to go to bed,” her voice breaking.
Another resident, 84-year-old Vasily, was fixing plywood over his broken windows after the strike shattered the glass.
“We worry all the time… and now it’s our turn,” he said, adding, “It’s about how lucky you get.”
The elderly builder, who has memories of World War II from his early childhood, said, “I’ve seen it all.”
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
