Ukraine: 60 feared dead after Russia bombs school which sheltered ‘whole village’

The school sheltering the ‘whole village’ was struck by Russian forces on Saturday

Two people have died and another 60 people trapped under rubble are feared dead after Russia bombed a school in Ukraine’s Luhansk region.

About 90 people are said to have been sheltering in the school when Vladimir Putin’s forces shelled the village of Bilohorivka on Saturday afternoon, causing a fire that engulfed the building, Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said.

Mr Gaidai said 30 people had been rescued from the smouldering debris, but it is thought that many remain trapped underneath it.

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“The fire was extinguished after nearly four hours, then the rubble was cleared, and, unfortunately, the bodies of two people were found,” Mr Gaidai wrote in a Telegram post, adding: “Sixty people were likely to have died under the rubble of buildings.”

Emergency crew tend to a fire after a school was reportedly struck by Russian shelling (via REUTERS)

Burning debris is seen in the village of Bilohorivka (via REUTERS)

He said the bomb was dropped on a building where “almost the whole village was hiding” from Russian attacks.

Mr Gaidai said 11 people were also thought to have been trapped after shelling destroyed a house in the village of Shypilovo.

Responding to the news of the school bombing, foreign secretary Liz Truss accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of war crimes.

She said: “Horrified by Russia’s latest attack on a school in Luhansk, resulting in the deaths of innocent people sheltering from Russian bombardment.”

She said the deliberate targeting of civilians and infrastructure “amounts to war crimes” and “we will ensure Putin’s regime is held accountable”.

Ukraine and western nations have accused the Russian military of committing war crimes by launching indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, including hospitals and schools. The charges have been vehemently rejected by Moscow.

Putin’s war on Ukraine has killed thousands, razed once-bustling cities to the ground and driven 5 million Ukrainians to flee abroad.

A man wearing military uniform stands on top of rubble in Bilohorivka (via REUTERS)

Debris next to a partially collapsed building is seen after a school building was hit (via REUTERS)

The strategic southern port city of Mariupol has been near-flattened by unrelentling Russian attacks.

The bombed-out Azovstal steelworks became the last stronghold of Ukrainian defence forces in the region. An estimated 300 civilians were thought to be sheltering there to make a final stand to prevent a complete takeover of the city.

Rescuers have been working for several days to evacuate civilians from the tunnels beneath the sprawling plant.

On Sunday, Ukrainian fighters manning the plant vowed to continue their stand as long as they are alive.

“We will continue to fight as long as we are alive to repel the Russian occupiers,” Captain Sviatoslav Palamar, a deputy commander of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment, said.

“We don’t have much time, we are coming under intense shelling,” he said, pleading with the international community to help to evacuate wounded soldiers from the plant.

Illia Samoilenko, an Azov fighter, said they still had weapons, munitions and water, and were prepared to fight as long as they must.

“We can die at any moment... Our message is don’t waste our efforts,” Mr Samoilenko added.

Smoke rises over Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol (EPA)

Several dozen Ukrainian civilians, who had been living in the bomb shelters of the Azovstal plant for more than a month, are seen being evacuated in Mariupol (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

On Saturday evening, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister announced that all women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from the Soviet-era steelworks.

Iryna Vereshchuk said: “The president’s order has been carried out: all women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal. This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed.”

No further details were given.

It was reported by the Russian news agency Tass that 50 civilians had been evacuated from the plant on Saturday, and a similar number left on Friday.

An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers remain there, however.

In his nightly video address on Saturday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said evacuation efforts in Mariupol’s steelworks will focus on the wounded and medics after all the women, children and elderly were brought to safety.

He reported last night that more than 300 civilians had been rescued from the vast plant.

Marking this year’s Victory Day celebrations - the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II - many Ukrainians congregated in Kharkiv to attend the funeral of the fallen Ukrainian soldier.

(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

In an emotional address, Mr Zelensky signalled the return of “evil” in light of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“The evil has returned. Again!” he said, adding: “In a different form, under different slogans, but for the same purpose.”

The life that soldiers fought for in World War II came to an end on 24 February when Russian forces invaded, he said in a video message.

But he said Ukraine and its allies will win, adding: “No evil can escape responsibility, it cannot hide in a bunker.”

Meanwhile, Ben Wallace will say that Mr Putin is mirroring the actions of Nazi Germany in a speech on Monday.

The defence secretary is expected to say in an address at the National Army Museum that the fate of Mr Putin and his generals must “surely, eventually, be the same” as that of Hitler.

“Through their invasion of Ukraine, Putin, his inner circle and generals are now mirroring the fascism and tyranny of 70 years ago, repeating the errors of last century’s totalitarian regimes,” Mr Wallace will say.

Russia’s defence ministry also claimed on Sunday that it had hit a Ukrainian warship near Odesa - a port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine.

A statement from the ministry said its missiles had hit a Project 124 corvette, a class of Soviet missile corvettes with a Nato reporting name of ‘Tarantul’.

Air defences also shot down two Ukrainian SU-24 bombers and a Mi-24 helicopter over the Snake island in the Black Sea at night, the ministry added.

In total, it said four Ukrainian warplanes, four helicopters and an assault boat had been destroyed over the past 24 hours.

The Independent was not able to independently verify the report and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

In another blow to the Ukrainian effort, the governor of Luhansk today said that Ukraine’s troops have retreatred from the city of Popasna in eastern Ukraine, confirming previous reports that it had been taken.

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, earlier said his troops had taken control of most of Popasna.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai told Ukraine television that Ukrainian troops had retreated to take up more fortified positions, adding: “Everything was destroyed there.”

Following the dawn of Russia’s fresh offensive launched along Ukraine‘s eastern flank, Popasna fell victim to some of the most intense attacks and shelling taking place in the Luhansk region.

Despite Russia’s gains, the West is continuing to make efforts to intensify its pressure on the Putin regime.

Russian female officers march during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade (China News Service via Getty Ima)

Military vehicles roll through Moscow’s Red Square (China News Service via Getty Ima)

In the latest wave of support for Moscow’s neighbour, officials today announced that Britain will provide an extra £1.3bn in military support to Ukraine to help the country defend against Russian forces.

Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and leaders from other G7 countries were due to hold online talks with Mr Zelensky on Sunday to discuss the further support.

The meeting is partly meant to display unity among Western allies on Victory in Europe Day, which marks Nazi Germany’s surrender in 1945.

The funding, which comes from British government reserves, includes £300m of military kit promised by Mr Johnson earlier this week, such as radar systems to target Russian artillery, GPS jamming equipment and night vision devices.

The government said it is the highest rate of UK military spending on a conflict since Iraq and Afghanistan.