US citizens have been killed in the Russian city of Chernihiv, police from the city have claimed.
The Americans were reportedly killed in the northern Ukrainian city after a ‘heavy artillery attack’ on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, local police said officers ‘are documenting the consequences of enemy shelling of civilians in the centre of Chernihiv.’
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The post continued: “Today, the occupiers once again carried out a heavy artillery attack on unarmed civilian residents of the city.
“There are dead and wounded people. Among the dead – US citizens.
“Police officers are helping to evacuate affected citizens to medical facilities. Chernihiv police investigators are working at the scene. Law enforcement officers are carefully documenting all the circumstances and consequences of Russian war crimes.”
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The US State Department has yet to comment officially on the matter, but admitted it had been made aware of the claims.
A spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in Ukraine on March 17. We are monitoring the situation closely but cannot confirm these reports at this time.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the families of all whose lives have been lost in this unprovoked and unjustified war.
“We have no further comment at this time.”
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Earlier today, the Governor of Chernihiv said the city has suffered ‘colossal losses and destruction’ from Russian attacks through air strikes and artillery fire.
Viacheslav Chaus told Ukrainian journalists that 53 bodies of people ‘killed by the Russian aggressor from the ground or from the air’ were taken to morgues around the city in a single day.
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Chaus also said that civilians have been reduced to hiding in basements and shelters with no access to basic amenities because of the attacks.
He said: “The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction.”
Chernihiv is a city that is home to 280,000 people and is near to the borders with Russia and Belarus.
It was one of the first major cities in Ukraine to be targeted when Russia launched the invasion on 24 February.
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While talks between Ukraine and Russia have continued, one official claimed there is a lot of work to be done still.
The anonymous Western representative said: “Both sides are taking them seriously but there is a very, very big gap between the positions in question.”
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: World News, Ukraine, Russia, US News
Tom Wood