Massacred in the bread queue: Ten Ukrainians shot dead by Russian forces

16 March 2022, 13:03 | Updated: 17 March 2022, 08:40

Ten Ukrainians have been shot and killed by Russian forces while waiting in line for bread in Chernihiv, the US has claimed.

Vladimir Putin's "horrific" attacks have continued in Ukraine as the war approaches its third week, with 10 civilians reportedly shot dead in the streets of Chernihiv, northern Ukraine.

The Russian shelling unfolded shortly after 10am on Wednesday as troops continue to press on Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

The US Embassy in Kyiv said: "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."

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Footage appears to show aftermath of shooting of people queuing for bread in Chernihiv

Chernihiv, in the north of the country, is one of the cities Russian troops had to pass on their way to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

The crisis facing people in the area was laid out by the governor of the Chernihiv region, who said there was no electricity in the city or outlying towns.

However, Viacheslav Chaus said Ukrainian forces were inflicting “powerful blows on the Russian enemy every hour” and the UK Ministry of Defence said Putin's troops are "struggling with the terrain".

The MoD says Russia's advance has been stymied by a lack of manoeuvrability, which has been "adeptly exploited" by Ukrainian forces.

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The latest barbaric attack comes as Russian forces continue to hold hundreds of people hostage at a hospital in Mariupol.

The intensive care hospital has been sieged by Russian troops, who are holding up to 400 people hostage.

Donetsk Oblast Governor said on Tuesday afternoon that Russian forces "drove 400 people from neighbouring houses to the hospital and they can’t leave".

Russian forces are reportedly firing at the windows of the hospital in an effort to trigger a response from Ukrainian soldiers, according to the Media Initiative for Human Rights.

The human rights organisation said Russian soldiers are "threatening to shoot" at hostages who attempt to escape adding that "patients who risked escape from captivity returned with bullet wounds".

Pavlo Kirilenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said: "It is impossible to get out of the hospital. There is a heavy shooting, we sit in the basement.

"Vehicles have not been able to drive to the hospital for two days. High-rise buildings are burning around… Russians forced 400 people from neighbouring houses to come to our hospital. We can't leave."