16 March 2022 Chernihiv breadline attack | |
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Part of the Siege of Chernihiv | |
Location | Chernihiv, Ukraine |
Date | 16 March 2022 Around 10:00 (UTC+2) |
Target | Civilians in Chernihiv |
Deaths | 18[1] |
Injured | 26[1] |
Perpetrators | Russian Armed Forces |
On 16 March 2022, a Russian attack killed at least 18 and injured 26[1] civilians in Chernihiv, Ukraine, who were waiting in a line for bread.[2][3]
The Ukrainian city of Chernihiv has seen attacks by Russian forces since 24 February 2022, the day in which the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.[4] The battles of Chernihiv have caused heavy civilian losses. On 3 March, the city suffered a bombing that killed 47 people.[5] Russian major general Andrei Sukhovetsky, then deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army, was killed on 4 March, the day after the bombing, becoming the first Russian general to die during the Russian invasion.[6] On 10 March, the city entered a siege[7] which lasted until 31 March when the Ukrainian forces managed to undo the encirclement of the city.[8]
As fighting continued, more civilians died in Chernihiv. On 16 March, the Governor of Chernihiv Oblast Vyacheslav Chaus reported that the Russian attacks on Chernihiv on that day alone had killed a total of 53 people.[9]
The event was reported by Chaus as well as the United States Embassy in Kyiv. On Ukrainian television, Chaus said the attack, which he described as a bombing, was "not the first such incoming shell, nor is it the first shelling of civilians by the enemy".[10] The US Embassy reported that the people had been "shot and killed".[11] 18 people were reported dead by local authorities.[1] The incident happened at around 10:00 UTC+3. Victims of the incident were killed following a blast shot from heavy artillery.[12] These civilians were unarmed and some of them survived the shelling; they were taken to medical facilities by Chernihiv police.[13]
External videos | |
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Video of the aftermath |
James Whitney Hill, a 67-year-old US citizen from Minnesota was killed in the attack.[14] Chernihiv Patrol Police and the US State Department confirmed the death of a US citizen.[15] James, known on social media as "Jimmy Hill", was an English-language teacher and refused to leave Ukraine when the war started to provide care for his partner Iryna, a Ukrainian citizen.[16]
Around four hours after the incident, the Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor's Office filed a legal case regarding the attack. The Chernihiv Oblast branch of the Security Service of Ukraine also started an investigation.[12]
У полон Збройних сил України здалися гвардії капітан Міхоєв і єфрейтор Касаткін. [Captain Mikhoyev and Corporal Kasatkin surrendered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.]