Rockets Hit Jewish Center in Eastern Ukraine Town of Kramatorsk
Residents in eastern Ukraine town of Kramatorsk pose next to unexploded missile. Image by getty images
Two rockets hit the building housing a Jewish social welfare center in the eastern Ukraine city of Kramatorsk but did not explode.
The nine-story building housing the Hesed social welfare center was hit Tuesday, according to a statement by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC, which supports the Hesed center’s activity. There were no injuries or casualties; the building was evacuated.
One rocket hit the roof and another landed in the backyard. The attack was part of a barrage that landed near the city center, reportedly killing five and wounding 26.
“This latest development is another stark reminder of the harsh conditions on the ground that impact the lives of the most vulnerable in Ukraine every day,” said JDC CEO Alan Gill. “We remain vigilant and dedicated to delivering humanitarian aid to the thousands in Ukraine who are facing violence, scarcity of food and medicine, and the harsh winter months.”
The Kramatorsk Hesed, which serves over 560 elderly and poor Jews and employs 42 people, is part of a network of 32 JDC-supported social welfare centers serving 60,000 needy Jews in more than 1,000 locations across Ukraine.
The Ukraine Crisis Media Center, which is operated by the Ukrainian government, reported that pro-Russian insurgents fired from multiple rocket launchers on the Kramatorsk airport shortly after noon Tuesday. According to the information, missiles were fired from the area of Horlivka controlled by the pro-Russian militants, falling on the airfield and private sector on the outskirts of Kramatorsk.
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