Russian forces on Wednesday shot and killed ten people standing in a queue for bread in the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, US diplomats claimed.
The American Embassy in Kyiv tweeted: “Today, Russian forces shot and killed 10 people standing in line for bread in Chernihiv. Such horrific attacks must stop. We are considering all available options to ensure accountability for any atrocity crimes in Ukraine.”
The Standard could not confirm the accuracy of the claim.
A separate report said the civilians had been killed by Russian shelling, rather than shooting.
The reported atrocity could be another of a catalogue of war crimes which Russian forces are believed to have committed in Ukraine.
Horrific video footage of the alleged atrocity, posted on social media, showed several bodies on the ground, and one person being carried to a vehicle.
In Chernigiv Russians have killed more than ten people who were standing in line to buy some bread. pic.twitter.com/sy2yGN1BAw
— Олександр Мережко (@3TrAmvL026aJRar) March 16, 2022
Oleksandr Merezhko, believed to be deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, and chair of its Foreign Affairs Committee, posted one clip and tweeted: “Russians have killed more than ten people who were standing in line to buy some bread.”
CNN said it had video geolocated the area to confirm that a shell or rocket hit a group of people queuing for bread on Wednesday morning in Chernihiv.
Russia has adopted increasingly indiscriminate bombardment and siege tactics as Vladimir Putin’s invasion plan has stalled.
Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday that a Russian artillery strike hit a university and open-air market in the city on Monday, killing ten people.
The World Health Organisation says that more than 200 health facilities, including a cancer and a maternity hospital, have been hit by Russian attacks in Ukraine.
Mr Putin has been accused of ordering his troops to destroy cities having failed to capture them, with video footage, pictures and reports emerging of whole districts being almost flattened.
The Kremlin denies civilian areas are being targeted.
It was launched three weeks ago with the suspected aim of capturing the capital Kyiv within days and swiftly seizing most of the country.
But Russian advances have been hit by strong Ukrainian resistance, logistical problems, and a failure by the Kremlin to gain full control of the skies in the war zone.
Mr Putin has failed to seize any major cities and the widespread shelling and missile strikes are believed to have killed thousands of civilians.
His troops have suffered “heavy losses” on such a scale that it is likely they are struggling to launch offensive operations as they face “sustained” Ukrainian resistance, British defence chiefs said.
An intelligence briefing from the Ministry of Defence said the Russian casualty toll, with thousands of soldiers killed and many more believed to have been wounded, will make it harder for them to keep control of seized territory in Ukraine.
It also tells how Mr Putin’s generals are redeploying troops from as far afield as the military’s Eastern Military District, Pacific Fleet and Armenia, as his invasion plan has stalled and runs into its 21st day.
It states: “Russia is increasingly seeking to generate additional troops to bolster and replace its personnel losses in Ukraine. As a result of these losses it is likely Russia is struggling to conduct offensive operations in the face of sustained Ukrainian resistance.
“Continued personnel losses will also make it difficult for Russia to secure occupied territory.”
