Russian shelling kills seven in Ukrainian market, clouding Abu Dhabi talks

Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin accused Moscow of carrying out ‘another targeted war crime’.Published On 4 Feb 2026Russian forces have shelled Ukraine’s eastern city of Druzhkivka, killing at least seven people at a crowded market, according to the regional governor.The attack, using cluster munitions, targeted the market during a typically busy time on Wednesday morning, Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin said.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3From Crimea to Cameroon: Ukraine’s minorities reflect on life during warlist 2 of 3Russia renews attacks on frozen Ukrainian citieslist 3 of 3‘Moral degenerate’: Ukraine furious at Infantino over Russia ban commentsend of listIn addition to the seven killed, 15 others were injured, he said. The eldest victim was 81.Separately, Russia’s military dropped two aerial bombs on the city, which advancing Russian forces are seeking to capture, damaging several homes and buildings, said Filashkin.The attacks came as Russian and Ukrainian officials took part in a second round of United States-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi, further angering Ukrainian officials who claimed Moscow had already violated a one-week pledge to cease attacks on its energy facilities.“This is another targeted war crime and further proof that all Russian statements about a ‘truce’ are worthless,” said Filashkin.Elsewhere, Russian strikes hammered the central Dnipropetrovsk region, killing a 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man in a residential area, as well as the southern city of Odesa, damaging some 20 residential buildings, according to local officials.On the ground, Russia’s military also claimed its forces seized control of Ukraine’s eastern settlements of Staroukrainka ​and ‌Stepanivka, adding to a slow, bloody advance that Moscow feels can boost its position in negotiations.European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper accused Russian ‍President Vladimir Putin of abusing the negotiations in the United Arab Emirates by ⁠continuing attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.