At least 25 people were killed and 20 more injured in a shelling attack on a market in the Kirovskyi district of Russian-occupied Donetsk, according to Moscow-installed local authorities. This happened around 10 AM.

Self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) leader Denis Pushilin blamed Ukrainian forces. He said that the city was hit by a combined strike from 152mm and 155mm barrel artillery from the Kurakhove and Krasnohorivka directions.

The official Kyiv has not yet commented on the shelling. However, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army Serhiy Bratchuk reported that the Russians did this from their positions at the Chervonohvardiyske mines in Makiivka, a satellite city of Donetsk.

Meanwhile, the permanent mission of Russia to the UN reported that the 22 January shelling of Donetsk will be one of the topics at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Donetsk city and its surrounding region in eastern Ukraine, occupied by Russian-backed forces since 2014, often experience shelling attacks. Moscow-installed authorities blame the Ukrainian military, but evidence suggests that Russian troops shell Ukraine-controlled areas from residential neighborhoods, using civilians as human shields. The Ukrainian government also claims that Russians shell occupied territories to intimidate local residents. About 20 km from the frontline, the city has witnessed intense fighting in nearby areas like Mariinka and Avdiivka.

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