A major fire erupted at the Galaktika shopping mall in Donetsk, a city under Russian occupation in eastern Ukraine, following what has been described as a Ukrainian artillery strike on Friday.
The blaze, which swept through the two-story mall, reportedly caused extensive damage and has raised tensions in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-appointed governor of the Donetsk region, accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting the southwestern part of Donetsk.
He claimed the strikes resulted in injuries to at least seven civilians and significant damage to a local hospital.
Pushilin asserted that the fire at the Galaktika shopping mall covered an area of 10,000 square meters, complicating firefighting efforts due to the hazardous operational conditions.
Pushilin detailed the challenges faced by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, which has been forced to work from a safer distance due to the ongoing conflict.
“Extinguishing the fire is complicated by the operational environment,” Pushilin stated on social media. “The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry workers are forced to move to a safe distance.”
Eyewitness footage shared on social media depicted large flames and thick black smoke engulfing the shopping mall, which stood in front of a vacant parking lot.
The imagery showed the destruction of the building’s front while smoke billowed from the rear. Russia’s state-run news agency, RIA Novosti, also reported on the destruction, displaying images of the damaged commercial property.
The TASS news agency, citing local emergency services, reported that the fire may have resulted in two fatalities. The extent of the damage and the exact number of casualties remain under investigation.
The Kremlin’s claims of annexing Donetsk, along with three other Ukrainian regions, in late 2022 have been met with ongoing resistance, with Ukrainian forces continuing their efforts to reclaim control over the territories.
Ukraine has yet to comment on the incident or confirm whether its forces were responsible for the shelling. The conflict has seen numerous accusations and counterclaims from both sides, with each party frequently attributing damage and casualties to the other.
The ongoing conflict in Donetsk, and the broader struggle between Russia and Ukraine, has led to a series of escalations and incidents impacting civilians and infrastructure.
The Galaktika shopping mall fire adds to the growing list of significant damages reported in the region, highlighting the severe humanitarian and material consequences of the protracted conflict.
As firefighting efforts continue and investigations proceed, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution to the violence and a restoration of stability in the affected regions.