A civilian convoy in eastern Ukraine was found Saturday after allegedly being attacked by Russian forces, resulting in the death of 24 people, including 13 children and one pregnant woman, Ukrainian officials said.
According to the head of the Kharkiv military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, a convoy of at least six cars traveling west from the village of Pischane in the Luhansk region to Kurykivka in the Kharkiv region was brutally attacked on Sept. 25 around 9 a.m., Pravda first reported.
Several survivors from the attack were able to escape and reported the incident to authorities.
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Victims' identities are being looked into, and another investigation of war crimes has reportedly been opened.
"The Russians fired on civilians at point-blank range," Syniehubov said.
Images posted to Telegram by Ukraine's Office of Prosecutor General showed at least two burned cars with scorched bodies inside.
At least another two unmarked civilian vehicles were riddled with bullet holes, with more deceased victims strewn inside.
The acting head of Ukraine’s Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk, echoed the regional military’s assessment and said," This brutal attack on civilians was carried out by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group.
"They used small arms to attack six old light-duty vehicles and one Gazel van, almost point-blank," he added.
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The attack in eastern Kharkiv came after a major counter-offensive by Ukrainian troops forced Russia to evacuate its men from the region.
Officials told Fox News Digital this week that just because Ukraine had largely gained control over the region, that did not mean that Russian soldiers had completely left the area.
Ukraine has continued to advance into the neighboring Donetsk and Luhansk regions in recent days, securing the town of Lyman Saturday in a strategic win for Kyiv.
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Since forcing Russia’s withdrawal from Kharkiv, massive human rights abuses have been uncovered, including another mass grave this week in an area southeast of Izyum.
Ukraine, the International Criminal Court and several nations, including the U.S., have opened investigations into war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.
