Ukrainian kindergarten and school hit as Russian-hybrid forces escalate hostilities all over Donbas

On the morning of 17 February, the Russian-occupation forces shelled the Ukraine-controlled front-line town of Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast, with heavy artillery, one of the shells hit the building of a kindergarten in the town’s suburb, the press service of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation (JFO) reported on its Facebook page. The attack occurred around 09:00 Kyiv Time. According to later reports, at the moment of the attack children were inside, but no one was injured.

JFO says that two civilians were injured in the fire attack, according to preliminary data.

“The communal infrastructure was also damaged as half of the settlement was left without electricity. The servicemen of the Joint Forces Operation promptly evacuated civilians to shelter,” the report reads.

The “Donbas genocide myth” in the making: a kindergarten shelling case study

The previous message, published by JFO at 08:15 reported that the Ukrainian military recorded two ceasefire violations as of 08:00 since last midnight.

However, JFO’s later message published at 12:27 confirmed the escalation all along the entire front line.

“As of 11:00 today, the Russian occupation forces’ 29 ceasefire violations were recorded, 27 of which involved weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements,” the report reads, one Ukrainian serviceman was wounded.

• 32 shells of 122mm artillery pieces hit Stanytsia Luhanska, damaging the kindergarten and power lines. “According to preliminary data, due to the shelling, three employees of the kindergarten received injuries. Allied personnel promptly evacuated children and teachers to shelter,” the report reads.
• Stanytsia Luhanska area was hit by 82 mm mortars and automatic machine grenade launchers.
• Outskirts of Novotoshkivske came under fire on three occasions, the Russian-occupation forces used 122mm artillery, 120mm mortars, and grenade launchers.
• Ukrainian positions near Vodyane (Mariupol area) were hit using 120mm mortars, antitank grenade launchers, automatic grenade launchers.
• 82mm mortars were used in an attack on Ukrainian positions in Trudovski area (Donetsk area).
• Starohnativka area (Donetsk Oblast) was attacked with 120mm and 82mm mortars, automatic machine grenade launchers, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms.
• Staryi Aidar and Marinka areas were hit by 120mm mortars.
• Pivdenne and Mayorske areas: 82mm mortars, automatic machine grenade launchers.
• Lobacheve area: 82mm mortars.
• Novoselivka Druha area: anti-tank missile systems.
• Luhanske area (Donetsk Oblast):122mm artillery, 120mm mortars.
• Marinka area (Donetsk Oblast): 120 mm mortars.
• Svitlodarsk area: 120mm mortars, large-caliber machine guns.
• Troitske area (Luhansk Oblast): tank armament, 120mm and 82mm mortars.
• Popasna area (Luhansk Oblast): anti-tank grenade launchers.
• Zaytseve area: automatic machine grenade launchers.
• Nevelske area (Donetsk Oblast): 120mm mortars.
• Shumy (Donetsk Oblast): 120mm mortars.
• Pervozvanivka area: 152mm artillery.
• Travneve area: 120mm artillery.
• Avdiivka (Donetsk Oblast): 120mm mortars.
• Pisky (Donetsk area): 82mm mortars.

A locomotive depot in Stanytsia Luhanska's suburb of Nova Kindrashivska was also shelled today from the non-government-controlled territory, according to Ukrainian Railways. A warehouse was partially destroyed, a locomotive was damaged.

According to other accounts, one of the wounded civilians was a woman born in 1957 in Marinka, Donetsk Oblast who got injuries as a shell landed near a bus stop in the town at 9:30.

At about 10:30, a school was reportedly hit in Vrubivka with 30 students and 14 staff - 8 children and 2 staff members hid in the basement, other kids were taken away by parents. As a result of the shelling, a gas pipeline in Vrubivka was damaged. Currently, 70 apartments and 96 private houses are left without a gas supply.

Photos of Stanytsia Luhanska

The video published by JFO shows the consequences of the attack on the kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska:

JFO's images show the damage in more detail:

Update

A video from the settlement of the Kindrashivska-Nova station on the outskirts of Stanytsia Luhanska, said to have been filmed about 9:30 on 17 February 2022, shows the sounds of flying artillery shells and explosions"

Further reading:

• The "Donbas genocide myth" in the making: a kindergarten shelling case study
• Germany exports dual-use products to Russia despite EU sanctions, beefing up Russian military
• Full-scale invasion of Ukraine still unlikely, yet local escalation probable: analysis of scenarios
• The next phase of the Hybrid War, or why Russia is unlikely to invade Ukraine
• Ukraine calls on international media to not legitimize Russia’s occupation of Donbas
• War on terms: who’s fighting against Ukraine in Donbas – terrorists, rebels, insurgents?
• Escalation in Avdiivka, Eastern Ukraine: key facts and sources (2017)
• Russian-hybrid attack on civilians in Krasnohorivka is a form of psychological warfare (2017)
• Russian forces using Hamas-style terrorist tactics in Ukraine, Portnikov says
• Ukraine reveals proof that Russian officers directed rocket attack on Mariupol in 2015 (2016)
• Anti-Volnovakha. Horrible killing of civilians by Russian terrorists in Donetsk (2015)
• Russia kills civilians in Mariupol, demands peace (2015)
• Video (ENG SUB) Russian terrorists open mortar fire from within a residential area in Horlivka (2015)
• RT journalist films how Russians bait Ukrainian army into returning fire on residential areas (2014)