Tragedy struck in Kherson, Ukraine, as a market was hit by an apparent Russian artillery strike, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people according to local authorities. Regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin shared a video showing the aftermath of the strike, with civilians lying near a stall with vegetables. The strike, believed to be from Russian artillery, hit close to a public transport stop in the city center market.
Despite not being a recent hotspot, Kherson has felt the impact of the ongoing war, with fierce battles mainly concentrated in eastern Donetsk. Ukraine has retaliated with an incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region, awaiting further Western military and financial support. The Kherson region, along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, was illegally annexed by Moscow in September 2022, leading to partial occupation.
The city of Kherson fell to Russian forces during the full-scale invasion in February 2022. However, a Ukrainian counteroffensive later managed to recapture western areas of the Kherson region, including the regional capital. The situation remains tense as Ukraine stands firm in refusing to withdraw from the occupied regions.