More than 20 Ukrainians killed in 'brutal' airstrike as Zelensky begs for action

More than 20 Ukrainians have been killed in a "brutal" Russian aistrike while they were collecting pensions in a village in eastern Ukraine.

President Zelensky confirmed the strike on Telegram alongside a harrowing video showing a destroyed village with multiple casualties on the ground. He wrote: "A frankly brutal Russian air bomb strike on the village of Yarova in the Donetsk region. Directly at people. Ordinary civilians. At the moment when pensions were being issued. According to preliminary information, the number of dead is more than 20 people. There are no words... Condolences to all the relatives and friends of the deceased."

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The Ukranian President then called for action from Europe, the US and G20. "Such strikes by Russia should definitely not remain without an appropriate reaction from the world," he said. "The Russians continue to destroy life, but they avoid new strong sanctions, new strong strikes. The world should not remain silent. The world should not remain inactive. The United States needs a reaction. Europe needs a reaction. The G20 needs a reaction. Strong action is needed so that Russia stops bringing death."

The attack comes just days after Vladimir Putin's forces struck a crucial Ukrainian government building which tragically claimed the life of a two-month-old baby.

A plume of smoke was seen rising from the roof of Kyiv's cabinet of ministers building - home of Ukraine's Cabinet - but it was not immediately clear if the smoke was the result of a direct hit or debris, which would mark an escalation in Russia's air campaign.

At least four people, including a young woman and a two-month old child, were killed. Their bodies were dug out of the rubble by rescuers, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. US president Donald Trump said he was willing to push ahead with a new round of sanctions on Russia following the attack.

The EU's ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, visited the cabinet of ministers building after the attack, alongside other diplomatic mission heads. She said yesterday: "I saw it with my own eyes: Putin knows exactly what he is doing.

"The Iskander ballistic missile that struck the cabinet of ministers was aimed right there - at the heart of Ukraine's government," the EU envoy said.