Russian Shelling Kills 9 Civilians, Wounds 18 Across Donetsk Region

Russian military actions in the Donetsk region have resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction in early July 2025. On the night of July 3, six civilians were killed and twelve wounded due to Russian shelling, with damage to residential buildings and an art school reported in Kramatorsk. The previous day, July 2, Russian strikes killed two men and injured multiple others in Pokrovsk and other parts of Donetsk Oblast, including drone attacks on Druzhkivka that damaged houses and injured civilians. The village of Rayske was shelled on July 2, killing a woman and destroying private homes and a gas pipeline, with ongoing concerns about people trapped under rubble. Police and Ukrainian security services have launched criminal investigations into these attacks as war crimes amid reports of thousands of shelling attacks along the front line and residential areas, damaging dozens of civilian facilities. Local officials continue to urge residents to evacuate due to the persistent threat to civilian safety.