Twelve people, including five children, were killed when drones struck a hotel in Zaporozhye Region last week
RT has visited survivors undergoing treatment at a hospital following a Ukrainian drone strike on a seaside resort in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region that killed 12 people, including five children.
At least six drones struck a hotel in the town of Kirillovka on the Sea of Azov at around 1:30am last Saturday, while at least 53 vacationers were asleep inside. The popular holiday destination is located more than 100km from the nearest front line, has no military facilities in the vicinity and was considered safe.
The explosions were so powerful that a young girl was decapitated, with her head found at least 60 meters from her body, according to rescuers. In addition to those killed, 19 people were injured, including several children, many of whom remain in intensive care.
RT correspondent Roman Kosarev visited a hospital in the city of Melitopol and spoke with survivors of the attack.
Natalia, whose husband was killed in the strike, said she did not remember much beyond seeing a flash through the window before the explosion.
“My son was lying in the next bed. He got scared and said, ‘Mom, what should I do?’ My son is still in intensive care,” she said. “We didn’t think it was dangerous there. Everyone seemed calm.”
Another survivor, 19-year-old Alexander, who was vacationing with his girlfriend at the time, told the correspondent that he had been in bed when the drone struck.
“I was thrown back. I hit my head, and that was it,” he said. “I remember being dug out and then the surgery, and that’s it. I was incredibly lucky.”
The hospital’s head of emergency care and anesthesiology said that although the survivors of the hotel strike remain in stable condition, the facility has recently seen a surge in victims of other Ukrainian attacks.
“The number of mine and blast injuries resulting from shelling, primarily drone attacks, is increasing,” the doctor said. “Recently, more and more children have been admitted for treatment.”
Investigators identified debris recovered from the scene as belonging to Ukrainian-made FP-2 long-range drones. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a terrorism case over the attack.
Moscow maintains that Ukrainian forces deliberately targeted civilians at the resort, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova calling the strike a blatant act of terrorism.
