KHERSON, Ukraine: Russian forces shelled the railway station in the southern city of Kherson on Tuesday (Dec 26) while a train was set to evacuate residents, killing one policeman and injuring four people, Ukraine Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Klymenko said about 140 civilians had been at the station and police immediately directed people away from the scene.
“Thanks to the clear actions of the police, everyone was successfully taken to safe places,” Klymenko said on Telegram. “Unfortunately, a police lieutenant from the Kirovohrad region lost his life due to the shelling … two more police officers are in the hospital with shrapnel wounds”.
A train and the station were damaged, and Klymenko added that “the situation is under control and the railway is ready to continue functioning”.
Two civilians were also being treated for shrapnel wounds.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially reported the attack, saying the number of casualties was to be determined.
The city of Kherson was occupied by Russian troops shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February 2022.
Under pressure from Ukrainian troops, the Russian forces eventually withdrew to the other side of the Dnipro river that runs alongside the city.Â
The city has come under regular Russian bombardment since. Earlier on Tuesday, the head of the Kherson military administration, Roman Mrochko, had said that the city had come under sustained Russian strikes over the past 24 hours, wounding four people, including one seriously.
Source: CNA
