Ukraine is mourning one of its deadliest civilian tragedies in months after a Russian glide bomb struck the small village of Yarova in Donetsk Oblast. The attack hit directly as elderly residents gathered to receive their pensions, killing more than 20 people and wounding dozens.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as “brutally savage” and demanded a stronger global response from allies, including the United States, the European Union, and the G20. He warned that such attacks on defenseless civilians demonstrate Moscow’s deliberate strategy of terror against communities living near the front line.
Footage from the aftermath showed destroyed vehicles, scorched ground, and lifeless bodies lying near a mobile post office where pension payments were being distributed. Survivors described the strike as sudden, giving no warning or chance to take shelter. Glide bombs are notoriously difficult to intercept, traveling at high speed and bypassing most early warning systems.
Local officials confirmed that the majority of victims were retirees. They described the strike as a clear war crime, targeting unarmed civilians who posed no threat. Human rights groups have called for independent investigations to document evidence and hold those responsible to account.
Since June 2025, Russian forces have stepped up the use of glide bombs and missile attacks, launching thousands of drones and hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles across Ukraine. The Yarova bombing underscores the growing humanitarian toll, especially in villages close to the front line that lack robust air defenses.
Zelensky urged the world not to remain silent. He called for tighter sanctions, faster delivery of air defense systems, and unified international pressure to stop Russia from continuing its campaign of civilian terror. For the people of Yarova, however, the grief is immediate, as they bury loved ones who were simply waiting for their pensions when death fell from the sky.
