13 rescuers killed in Ukrainian shelling: DPR officials

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Ukrainian missiles killed at least 13 firefighters, rescuers, and medics in the village of Rubtsy when they hit their living quarters in the middle of the night, according to Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) officials.

DPR emergency ministry chief, Aleksey Kostrubitskiy, said, “It was a targeted missile strike on our unit. All rockets hit residential buildings”, describing the attack as "a war crime that deserves punishment.”

Five of the nine injured first responders are in critical condition, as per Kostrubitskiy.

He also added that three buildings that housed the DPR emergency ministry's staff and equipment were also hit.

Residents of Rubtsy, which has been under Russian control since March, said they heard four to six explosions in the middle of the night.

Horrific videos from the scene showcased a single-story building destroyed and turned to rubble.

On his account, DPR leader Denis Pushilin said that the victims “were not holding weapons. They worked to keep people safe. But we see the true attitude of Kiev towards the people of Donbass. This is the behavior of terrorists. It’s our duty to stop them and punish the criminals.” 

The DPR has repeatedly accused Ukraine of shelling Donetsk and other locations with HIMARS. 

Three activists of the Molodaya Respublika organization were killed on July 10, and 11 were injured by the shelling of the Ukrainian armed forces against the Shakhtyorsky district in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), according to DPR head Denis Pushilin.