Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian civilians following the attack on the Kramatorsk train station, UK's defense ministry stated in a Saturday morning intelligence update.
At least 39 people were killed and 87 wounded on Friday when two Russian missiles reportedly struck a railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine.
The station, located in the Donetsk Oblast, is being used to evacuate civilians from areas under bombardment by Russian forces.
Read more of The Jerusalem Post's coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war:
- Increasing amount of Ukrainians say reconciliation with Russia impossible
- Will Russia be held accountable? - analysis
- Kramatorsk train station missile marked 'for children,' kills 39
- New evidence of Bucha Massacre during Russian occupation
Many of the evacuees at the train station are children – and the words "for children," was written on one of the missiles, something UK Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons tweeted as being "unspeakably brutal Russian depravity."
Marking a missile “for children” and then aiming it at fleeing civilians inc[luding] children at #Kramatorsk, is an unspeakably brutal depravity. pic.twitter.com/6Kf20LVAzF
— Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) April 8, 2022
More Russian airstrikes expected
Russian forces have destroyed an ammunition depot at the Myrhorod Air Base in central Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, quoting the Russian defense ministry.
A Ukrainian air force MiG-29 fighter and an Mi-8 helicopter were also destroyed in the attack on the base in the Poltava region, according to ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
Russia is expected to increase air activity over southern and eastern Ukraine, UK intelligence also stated.
"The occupiers continue to prepare for the offensive in the east of our country in order to establish full control over the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Facebook.
Russian naval forces launching missiles at Ukraine will reportedly seek to primarily target the Donbas region, Mariupol and Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian forces, however, are consistently thwarting Russian ambitions to establish a land corridor between Crimea and Donbas.
Evacuations to continue despite attacks on civilians
Ten humanitarian corridors to evacuate people from Ukraine's besieged regions have been agreed upon for Saturday, Ukraine's deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
The planned corridors include one for people evacuating by private transport from the city of Mariupol, she said.
More evacuations are needed from the Luhansk region as shelling has increased in recent days and more Russian forces have been arriving, Gov. Serhiy Gaidai said on Saturday.
Some 30% of people still remain in settlements across the region and have been asked to evacuate, he said. "They (Russia) are amassing forces for an offensive and we see the number of shellings has increased," Gaidai told the public television broadcaster.