Russian state media: Strike on Donetsk damages building of occupation administration

On the afternoon of Sept. 18, several explosions were heard in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk, occupied by Russia since 2014, local Telegram channels reported.

Denis Pushilin, the head of Russia's proxies in Donetsk Oblast, claimed that a Ukrainian strike hit the center of Donetsk, allegedly damaging civilian infrastructure. Kyiv hasn't commented.

According to Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti, the building of Pushilin's illegal occupation administration sustained minor damages in the purported attack. Pushilin hasn't commented on these reports.

A collaborator and the head of the city occupation administration, Alexey Kulemzin, alleged a "direct hit" on the roof of an administrative building on Pushkin Boulevard in central Donetsk.

These claims could not be independently verified.

Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the exiled mayor of Donetsk Oblast's Mariupol, published videos from local channels showing a pillar of smoke over the city and damages to a building that looks identical to the administration building filmed by a RIA Novosti journalist.

"Unfortunately, Pushilin is alive. It's strange how many times the administration has been hit, and he always survives," Andriushchenko added later.

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The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima