Four Civilians Killed in Ukrainian Troops’ Shelling of Pologi, Says Regional Administration

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least four civilians were killed and another five were seriously injured in the Ukrainian troops’ shelling of the city of Pologi in the Zaporozhye region, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the Zaporozhye regional administration, said.

"The consequences of the shelling of Pologi by terrorists: several rockets hit a grocery store and the administration building. At the moment, we have information on four civilians killed and five more who were seriously injured," Rogov said on Telegram on Saturday.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On September 30 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier this month that Ukrainian troops conducted around 370 artillery strikes against Russian military positions in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, during the 36-hour ceasefire, declared by Russia along the line of contact between the warring sides in Ukraine from January 6-7, to allow Orthodox Christians in the areas of hostilities to attend church on Orthodox Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.