20 dead after Ukraine attack on bakery in Russia occupied Luhansk

On Saturday, 20 bodies were recovered from the wreckage of a building in Lysychansk, in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, according to Russia's emergencies ministry.

The building, which contained a bakery, was allegedly struck by Ukraine. Video footage shared by the ministry showed emergency workers assisting two injured individuals from the debris.

Reuters confirmed the location of the attack to be the Adriatic Restaurant on Moskovska Street, Lysychansk, based on the building's design and a matching sign. However, the date of the footage and other details could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Ukrainian officials have yet to comment on the incident. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed that 'dozens of civilians' were in the building at the time of the attack and that Western weapons were used.

The Luhansk Information Centre, controlled by Russia, accused Ukraine of using the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to shell the bakery. A Russian-installed official quoted by TASS news agency stated that the average age of the victims was around 35.

Currently, no children have been reported among the fatalities, but rescue operations are ongoing. Leonid Pasechnik, appointed by Moscow to oversee Ukraine's Luhansk region, suggested that dozens more people could still be trapped under the rubble.