Russian attack on Ukraine village leaves 51 dead, Volodymyr Zelenskyy describes it as 'brutal'

Villagers were attending a wake for a local resident when a missile struck at 15:15 local time, reported BBC.

Ukraine's defence ministry said there were no military targets in the area - only civilians,  the British media reported.

Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the incident as a 'brutal terrorist attack'.

"Russian missile struck an ordinary grocery store in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region. This was a fully deliberate, demonstrative, and brutal terrorist attack," the President wrote on X.

" As of now, more than 51 people have been reported dead. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones! Assistance is being provided to the wounded," he said.

In his strong message, he said Russian terror must be stopped.

"Russia needs this and similar terrorist attacks for one reason only: to make its genocidal aggression the new normal for the entire world. And I thank every leader and every nation that supports us in the defense of life!" he said.

The top UN humanitarian official in Ukraine has condemned the Russian strike that ripped apart the small rural village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region, killing dozens of civilians.

“The images arriving from the locality, home to just above 300 people, are absolutely horrifying,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown said in a statement issued shortly after the attack.

Speaking on behalf of the UN and the humanitarian community, she expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

“Our thoughts are also with the people of Ukraine, who had to witness today, once again, another barbaric consequence of Russia’s invasion,” she added.

Brown recalled that intentionally directing an attack against civilians or civilian objects is a war crime, as is intentionally launching an attack knowing that it would be disproportionate.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced his strong condemnation of the attack, his Spokesperson said in a statement. 

"Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law and they must stop immediately," it said.