Ukrainian Forces target DPR anniversary car rally in Donetsk with HIMARS strike
The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched strikes using HIMARS multiple rocket launch systems on the Lenin district of occupied Donetsk, targeting participants assembled for a car rally marking the 10th anniversary of the DPR independence, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Preliminary reports indicate one person killed and another four injured, according to Russian investigative bodies. The Telegram channel Rybar described “five dead and six wounded.”
The Telegram channel Mash in Donbass and WarGonzo reported that the Paradise restaurant, located in a hotel opposite the rallying point for car rally participants, was hit. They reported that the explosion occurred just as the vehicles were ready to depart. The event was subsequently canceled due to the risk of further shelling, WarGonzo wrote.
Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated three people died and another eight were injured. He said that all the deceased were inside the Paradise restaurant in the Kirovsky district, which suffered a direct hit.
"One of the American HIMARS missiles struck directly at the restaurant (causing damage to the external wall, glazing along the building's perimeter, and street constructions), while another hit an adjacent unfinished building (damaging the rooftop)," Pushilin said.