Russia accuses Ukraine of killing civilians in drone strike on busy market; Kyiv denies

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Moscow on Thursday accused Kyiv of attacking a busy market in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine in a drone strike it said had killed at least seven civilians and wounded more than 20, while Kyiv said the attack had killed only military personnel.

Reuters could not verify either side's assertions.

Vladimir Saldo, the region's Russian-installed governor, said the drones had struck a market in the town of Oleshky at around 9.30 a.m. local time on what was a public holiday.

He and two social media users released videos purporting to show some of the incident. Reuters confirmed the location as Oleshky, but could not independently verify when they were filmed.

One of the videos showed an explosion going off beside one in a group of low-slung buildings. Another video showed at least two bodies lying on the ground beside the structure; it was not possible to tell who they were.

Saldo, posting in the evening on the Telegram messaging app, said emergency crews trying to evacuate the bodies of those killed were coming under new Ukrainian drone attacks.

Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military, said Kyiv had targeted Russian troops in part of Kherson region controlled by Moscow and that only military personnel, and not civilians, had been killed.

RUSSIA SEEKS CONDEMNATION

Russia's Foreign Ministry called on the international community to condemn what it said was an act of terrorism.

"After the first strikes, which had already resulted in casualties, the enemy launched a second drone raid, during which they mercilessly killed the survivors and attacked the rescuers who had arrived," the ministry said in a statement.

"This is yet another bloody war crime."

Local Russian-installed official Sergei Cherevko said around 30 Ukrainian drones had struck the market in four different attack waves, according to state media.

Cherevko alleged Ukrainian forces had used cluster munitions against ambulances gathering at the scene and said two people had been killed - contradicting the death toll of seven given by Saldo and the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Reuters has requested clarification from Saldo.

In the Russian-occupied part of eastern Donetsk region, Moscow-appointed governor Denis Pushilin said one person had been killed and eight injured from improper handling of explosives after Ukrainian forces had shelled different areas.

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targeting civilians in the course of the war, now well into its fourth year, something both sides deny.

Civilian casualties have been far higher on the Ukrainian side. Russian strikes last month which Moscow said were aimed at military targets killed 19 people in the city of Kryvyi Rih, 35 in Sumy and 12 in the capital Kyiv, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to "STOP!"

Rodion Miroshnik, a special ambassador for Russia's Foreign Ministry, called the strike on Oleshky a "monstrous atrocity" that made a mockery of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's talk about peace.

Ukraine says it wants a ceasefire of at least 30 days to open the way for talks on securing a just peace. Russia has not agreed to such a truce, but Putin has unilaterally announced a three-day ceasefire next week and the Kremlin says he is open to direct talks with Kyiv.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Philippa Fletcher, Ron Popeski and Diane Craft)