In a devastating escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine, a Russian air strike killed at least 24 people and injured 19 others in the small village of Yarova, Donetsk region, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. According to Ukrainian officials, the attack struck as a group of elderly civilians queued to collect their pensions, turning an ordinary act of daily life into a scene of chaos and tragedy.
The strike, which Ukrainian authorities say involved a Russian glide bomb—a winged weapon capable of traveling dozens of kilometers—hit the village at approximately 10:40 local time (07:40 GMT). The blast occurred near a playground, destroying a Ukrainian postal service vehicle used for pension distribution and wounding a local postal official identified as Yulia. Vadym Filashkin, the Kyiv-appointed governor of Donetsk, confirmed that 23 of the dead were pensioners, underscoring the civilian toll of the attack. The pre-war population of Yarova was about 1,900, and the village sits only a few kilometers from the front line, making it especially vulnerable as Russian forces press their offensive in the region.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visibly shaken, condemned the attack as "frankly brutal," posting graphic footage on social media and calling for a robust international response. "A brutally savage Russian airstrike with an aerial bomb on the rural settlement of Yarova in the Donetsk region. Directly on people. Ordinary civilians. At the very moment when pensions were being disbursed," Zelenskyy wrote online, as reported by BBC and Deutsche Welle. He continued, "Such strikes by Russia must not remain without an appropriate response from the world. The world should not remain silent. 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."
Ukraine's interior ministry and the state emergency service (DSNS) confirmed the death toll and the use of a guided air bomb. The attack left a scene of devastation, with amateur video showing bodies strewn on the ground and a burned-out minivan near the site of the pension queue. According to Agence France-Presse, mourners gathered outside a local morgue, where at least 13 corpses lay in black body bags. Emergency crews and local officials rushed to evacuate survivors, with 22 residents moved to safer regions by the time of the report. Filashkin urged remaining residents to evacuate, warning of the ongoing danger as Russian troops close in from nearby Novoselivka, only about six kilometers away.
The Ukrainian postal service, Ukrposhta, confirmed that one of its vehicles was destroyed and its department head, Yulia, hospitalized. The head of Ukrposhta speculated that someone may have given away the vehicle's coordinates, raising concerns about security in front-line areas. As a result, Ukrposhta announced changes to how it distributes pensions and basic services in conflict zones, seeking safer ways to reach vulnerable populations.
The strike on Yarova is one of the deadliest attacks on Ukrainian civilians in recent weeks, coming just days after Russia launched its largest air assault on Kyiv since the war began. That earlier attack targeted government buildings in the capital, a move President Zelenskyy described as "ruthless" and aimed at prolonging the conflict. Ukraine's state emergency service also reported three additional deaths from earlier Russian shelling in Donetsk on the same day as the Yarova strike, highlighting the relentless pressure on civilian populations across the region.
International reaction has been swift, if not yet decisive. Ukraine's prosecutor general has launched a war crime investigation into the attack, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha labeled the strike "barbaric" and a "heinous crime." Zelenskyy and his government have called for tougher sanctions and more military aid from Western allies, arguing that only strong international action can deter further atrocities. "Strong actions are needed to make Russia stop bringing death," Zelenskyy insisted in his appeal to the United States, Europe, and the G20.
European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas addressed the European Parliament on Tuesday, noting that the bloc and its member states have provided nearly €169 billion in financial support to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, including over €63 billion in military aid. This year alone, €25 billion in military assistance has been delivered, with EU countries supplying 80% of a two-million-round ammunition target. "This is all so that Ukraine can defend itself, can defend its civilians, and push back the aggression," Kallas said, as quoted by DW.
Germany, meanwhile, announced a €300 million initiative to supply thousands of long-range drones to Ukraine, aiming to disrupt Russian operations deep behind the front lines. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized that the program, developed in partnership with Ukrainian defense firms, would "expand Ukraine's capabilities to weaken Russia's war machinery in the hinterland, providing an effective defense." The UK has also pledged to deliver thousands of long-range one-way attack drones over the next 12 months, with British Defense Minister John Healey affirming the UK's commitment to its "100-year partnership with Ukraine."
Despite this support, the situation on the ground remains dire. Ukrainian military officials report that Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian troops by threefold in some areas and by as much as six times where Moscow has concentrated its firepower. Moscow has steadily advanced in the Donetsk region for months, deploying troops from other parts of the front and intensifying aerial strikes after US-led peace efforts stalled. Kyiv claims that the Kremlin has massed 100,000 troops at key points along the front line, preparing for a fresh offensive.
Political responses in Europe have been mixed. Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has criticized Berlin's support for Ukraine, with co-leader Tino Chrupalla suggesting that Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure have contributed to the escalation. Chrupalla also accused the European Union of fueling the war by supplying arms to Kyiv, reflecting ongoing divisions within Europe over how best to respond to the conflict.
As the war grinds on, the human cost continues to mount. The United Nations estimates that more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion began, with millions more displaced. The strike on Yarova is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of those living near the front lines and the urgent need for both humanitarian relief and a durable political solution.
The attack has galvanized calls for a stronger international response, but for the residents of Yarova and countless others caught in the crossfire, the immediate concern remains survival. As rescue workers sift through the rubble and families mourn their dead, the world watches to see whether the latest outrage will finally prompt the action Ukrainian leaders have so desperately sought.
