Donetsk, Sep 1 — DAN. The strike at the village of Rubtsy in the Krasny Liman district in which the Donetsk People’s Republic Emergencies Ministry task force suffered casualties, was purposeful, Head of the rescue agency Alexey Kostrubitsky said on Thursday.
“It was a well-aimed strike; all the missiles hit the buildings where people lived and the equipment in the street was damaged by shrapnel, ” Kostrubitsky said. “You could tell that it was rescuers’ equipment. It is a war crime, ” he underlined in his comment posted by journalist Andrey Rudenko on Telegram.
Three buildings were fully destroyed by the strike. The rescuers who came under fire were performing absolutely civil duties in the Krasny Liman district, providing medical aid to the population and clearing debris, the emergencies minister added.
The DPR Emergencies Ministry sent additional personnel and equipment to the scene. The LPR Emergencies Ministry has joined in. The wounded are being taken to Lugansk. Later on, they will be sent either to the DPR or Russia. Kostrubitsky said that five of the wounded are in serious condition, according to the minister.
Earlier reports said that a DPR Emergencies Ministry task force came under Ukrainian artillery fire in the village of Rubtsy, Krasny Liman District at around 4:00 on September 1. Thirteen rescuers were killed and another nine were wounded in the attack. The DPR Emergencies Ministry sent an additional task force to Rubtsy to carry out search and rescue works.*jk