Ukraine denounces 23 civilians killed in a Russian attack on a 'humanitarian convoy' in Zaporizhia

At least 23 people died and about 30 were injured. this Friday due to an attack by Russian forces on a "humanitarian convoy" in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia, the Ukrainian authorities denounced.

The head of the Zaporizhia Regional Military Authority, Oleksandr Staruj, explained that "the enemy launched a rocket attack against a humanitarian convoy leaving a regional center”. “It is known that there are 23 dead and 28 wounded. All civilians, our compatriots,” he added.

Thus, Staruj underlined in a series of messages on his account in Telegram that “People were lining up to leave the temporarily occupied territory, pick up their relatives and bring help.”

“The workers of the rescue teams, doctors and all the relevant services they are working on the place”he remarked.

in your account Twitter, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailo Fedorov assured: “Russia is a terrorist state, that does not value human life and disregards internationally recognized wartime rules.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two decrees on Thursday in which recognizes the independence of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regionsaccording to a statement published this Friday on the Russian legal information portal.

The texts allege that this decision is produced “taking into account the will of the people” and "in accordance with the principles and norms of International Law, as well as recognizing and confirming the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, enshrined in the UN Charter."

Zaporizhia and Kherson are two of the four Ukrainian regions seeking independence to annex Russia. The other two territories are Donetsk and Lugansk, and Vladimir Putin is expected to sign the decrees this Friday to recognize their autonomy.

Putin will preside over the signing of a treaty on "the entry of new territories into the Russian Federation," three days after the end of hastily staged referendums in which Moscow's proxies in the occupied regions demanded majorities of up to 99% in favor of joining Russia.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, assured that the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia plans to undertake this Friday “has no place in the modern world” and “cannot be accepted”, because it contravenes both the Ukrainian legal framework and international law.

"They cannot be considered an authentic expression of the citizen's will", Guterres said, in a forceful statement to the media in which he recalled that the consultations were held in "occupied" areas and in which there is an "active conflict", outside of Ukrainian regulations.

(With information from Europe Press, Reuters Y Aristegui News)