Russian Glide Bomb Kills At Least 24 in Ukraine, Poland on High Alert

A town in eastern Ukraine was hit by a Russian glide bomb on Tuesday morning while residents were waiting outside to pick up their monthly pension.  According to the Ukrainian Emergency Service, the explosion claimed the lives of at least 24 individuals and injured 19.

According to AP, in a related incident, Poland's military declared a state of heightened alert for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning due to "further massive airstrikes against targets located in Ukraine."

​“To ensure the security of Polish airspace, the operational commander of the Polish armed forces has activated all necessary procedures. Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest level of alert,” the Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces said in a statement posted on social media.

Reportedly, at approximately 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the Russian glide bomb struck the town of Yarova in the Donetsk region.  The distance between the settlement and the front line is less than 10 kilometers (6 miles).  According to Vadym Filashkin, the regional head of Donetsk, 23 of the deceased were retirees.

​Hennadii Trush, a native of Yarova, said his wife was murdered in the explosion when she was waiting to pick up her bedridden mother-in-law's pension.  Then Trush and his old mother, who was carried out on a stretcher, left Yarova.

​In shock and with soot still on his face, Trush wept as he described the scene of the attack. “It was beyond words,” he told AP. “Before, strikes landed on the outskirts. This time it was right in the centre of the village.”

​It was the most recent civilian death caused by a Russian assault. According to the UN, the three-year conflict has claimed the lives of over 12,000 Ukrainian people.

​In a Telegram post after Tuesday's strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it "frankly brutal" and urged the international community to impose further sanctions on Russia to make it pay for its full-scale invasion.

​“The world should not remain silent,” Zelenskyy wrote. “The world should not remain inactive. The United States needs a reaction. Europe needs a reaction. The G20 needs a reaction. Strong action is needed so that Russia stops bringing death.”

​Russia has increased its aircraft bombardments of Ukraine in recent months as U.S.-led peace efforts have failed to produce any results.  Russia launched the biggest aerial assault since the start of the conflict on February 24, 2022, on Sunday, using drones and missiles to strike the capital, Kyiv.

​Russia's Escalating Attacks

​Despite efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to convince Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to accept a truce and engage in peace negotiations with Zelenskyy—proposals that Ukraine has supported—Russia has been increasing its aircraft attacks.

​Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, chastised the Kremlin for its frequent attacks on people.

​“Is this what Russia means when it talks about peace?” Costa asked on social media. “When will President Putin accept to start peace talks already accepted by President Zelenskyy?”

​AP reported that the significant bombardments have raised worries that Ukraine's air defenses are being depleted more quickly than its Western partners can replenish them.

​According to a person familiar with the meeting, U.S. and European officials met Monday night at the U.S. Treasury Department to discuss fresh sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil purchases, among other economic pressures to be applied to Russia.

​The talks were expected to continue Tuesday.