At approximately 1347 EST on 27JUN23, reports began to emerge of Russian missile strikes in Kramatorsk and Bilenke. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry and local authorities updated press for about 5 hours on casualties until 1830 when the first reports began to emerge that the target of the Kramatorsk was a popular cafe, Ria Lounge.
By 0100 EST on 28JUN23, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Kostin claimed that (2) Iskander missiles were fired by the Russian military, despite earlier military blogger claims that (2) S-300 missiles were fired at the cafe. By 0200, Ukrainian Donetsk Governor Kyrylenko also claimed that (18) high-rise structures, (65) houses, and (2) kindergarten schools were damaged by debris from the missiles in this urban area. By 0300 EST, reports began to emerge that three Colombian nationals, including former Deputy Defense Minister Jaramillo were injured when the lounge was struck. He was reportedly meeting with Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina.
By 0700 EST, the death toll had risen to ten and sixty-one injured after emergency services pulled more people from the rubble.
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At the same time, the Ukrainian Security Service published a confession from a man who reportedly sent a video of the cafe to Russian authorities before the strikes. According to their counter-intelligence directorate:
“It has been established that the detained adjuster of the attack on Kramatorsk turned out to be a “de-canned” agent of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. On June 27, he received a task to find out whether the above-mentioned cafe is working and to record the presence of visitors there.
In order to fulfill the enemy’s instructions, the agent of the Russian Federation made a covert video recording of the facility and cars parked nearby. After that, the suspect forwarded the recorded file to Russian military intelligence.”
By 0730 EST, the Russian government responded to these claims. Presidential Spokesperson Peskov told press that Russia does not directly target civilian infrastructure:
”The Russian Federation does not strike at civilian infrastructure. The strikes are at objects that are in one way or another connected with the military infrastructure.”
In a follow up to that retort, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the missile strike targeted the temporarily deployed commanders of the Ukrainian 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade. In a video posted by pro-Russian sources, they claim that Ukrainian military personnel were at the lounge and they reference the social media posts of what appears to be a Ukrainian soldier.
This is developing.
