INTERNEWSTIMES.COM – New evidence suggests that the missile strike on a hotel in eastern Ukraine last month, which killed Reuters safety adviser Ryan Evans and injured two journalists, was launched by Russian forces stationed in the southern border region of Rostov.
Four Ukrainian security sources, speaking to Reuters, revealed that intelligence services have traced the launch site to a location near Taganrog, a Russian city situated on the Sea of Azov coast near the Ukrainian border.
According to the intelligence, two Russian units were operating close to the launch site at the time of the August 24th attack: the 1st Guards rocket brigade of the 49th Army and the 107th Guards rocket brigade of the 35th Army.
The Ukrainian military’s general staff, in separate responses to Reuters, added a third unit to the potential list: the 47th rocket brigade of the 8th Army.
The general staff confirmed that the missile used was a Russian Iskander 9M723 ballistic missile, launched from the Taganrog area at approximately 22:28 (1928 GMT) and striking the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk seven minutes later. The Iskander-M, according to the general staff, is accurate to within 30 meters of its intended target. However, they emphasized they have no evidence of the Sapphire being deliberately targeted by Russia, nor any intercepts indicating why the hotel was struck.
When asked about the incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deflected responsibility, stating that inquiries should be directed to the armed forces. He reiterated Russia’s stance that their military only targets objects directly or indirectly connected to military infrastructure. The Russian defense ministry did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries.
While the Ukrainian intelligence services and the general staff have identified the launch site, they have not explained how they arrived at this conclusion, nor have they specified which brigade was responsible for the attack.
This new information adds to the growing body of evidence pointing to Russian culpability in the attack on the Sapphire Hotel, a tragic incident that highlights the ongoing dangers faced by journalists covering the war in Ukraine. (Red)
