On Saturday, 20 July 2024, Russian forces targeted a school in Ukraine’s Nikopol district, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, using artillery shells containing flechettes – thousands of sharp steel darts designed to inflict maximum damage on human targets.
Yevhen Yevtushenko, head of the Nikopol District Military Administration, reported the attack on Telegram on Sunday. He stated, “Yesterday, the Russians shelled a settlement of the Marhanets community with tube artillery. Many shells hit an educational institution.”
The school suffered significant damage, but fortunately, no casualties were reported. Yevtushenko emphasized that this was not an isolated incident, noting that the villages of Illinka and Dobra Nadiia “suffer from armed aggression almost daily.”
The use of flechette rounds in this attack is particularly concerning. These artillery shells can contain up to 9,000 small, sharp darts capable of causing severe injuries and fatalities. Yevtushenko highlighted the indiscriminate nature of these weapons, stating, “By shelling a settlement where civilians live, the occupiers used ammunition designed for maximum damage to people.”
This incident is not the first time flechettes have been used in the area. Yevtushenko revealed that over two years of shelling, residents of coastal settlements have frequently found these darts on streets, fences, roofs, and vehicles, underscoring the ongoing danger to civilians even after attacks have ceased.
The attack on the school in Marhanets community serves as a stark reminder of the continued threat faced by Ukrainian civilians in areas near the front lines, as the war in Ukraine enters its third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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