On January 21, 2024, a woman walked past the bodies of victims killed in shelling conducted by Ukrainian troops in the Russian-controlled region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people and injured 25 others.

　　A woman walks past the body of a victim killed in a shelling carried out by Ukrainian troops in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on January 21, 2024. At least 27 people lost their lives and 25 were wounded in a deadly artillery attack on January 21, 2024 near the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. It was one of the worst attacks on a city in the Donetsk region. Two children were among the wounded in the suburb of Tekstilshchik. The shells that hit the Donetsk region were fired from the regions of Kulakhov and Krasnohorivka to the west.

　The Donetsk region is the site of a disastrous clash between Russian and Ukrainian forces that has been ongoing since 2014. Rising tensions between Ukrainian forces and separatist forces allied with Russian forces have escalated the humanitarian crisis in the Donetsk region.

　At least 27 people were killed and 25 wounded in shelling of a downtown Donetsk suburb occupied by Russian forces. Russian authorities installed in Donetsk blamed the deadly attack on Ukrainian forces. Emergency services are still on the scene, but Ukrainian authorities have remained silent on the events and an independent verification has yet to be accomplished.

　The war, which has been going on for nearly two years, has left the positions on the front lines of about 1,500 kilometers almost unchanged. During the winter months, both sides increased their reliance on long-range attacks. The Donetsk authorities, set up by the Russian military in Donetsk, condemned the shelling orchestrated by the Ukrainian military. The Russian Foreign Ministry labeled it a terrorist attack. As the accusations intensified, both Russia and Ukraine denounced each other for the escalating airstrikes. Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that the heinous act would not go unpunished. The attacks were condemned by the United Nations, which also strongly condemned all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including the Ukrainian military's shelling of the city of Donetsk.

　The shelling of Donetsk highlighted the growing human toll and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region. The city of Donetsk, with a population of about 600,000, is a frequent target of Ukrainian military attacks, the January 21 attack being one of the most serious in Donetsk. The international community became increasingly concerned about developments in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement face difficulties due to complex geopolitical stakes and deep-seated hostilities between the parties.

Warning: A woman walks past a body of a victim killed during the shelling that Russian officials in Donetsk said was conducted by Ukrainian forces, in Donetsk, Russian- controlled Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine in Donetsk, Ukraine, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. Local officials say at least 18 people have been killed by shelling of a market in Russian-occupied Ukraine. The attack hit Tekstilshchik, a suburb of the city of Donetsk, on Sunday. Alexei Kulemzin, the city's Russian-installed mayor, said that the shells had been fired by the Ukrainian military. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)