Ukrainian troops shell hotel housing journalists, staff in Kherson
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Ukrainian troops shell a hotel in the center of Kherson with US-supplied HIMARS systems, killing two people.
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Only journalists and hotel staff were inside the hotel.
The press service of the Kherson regional administration considered Sunday that a missile strike on a hotel where journalists lived in the center of Kherson is a terrorist attack, for which the military and political leadership of Ukraine is responsible.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Ukrainian troops shelled a hotel in the center of Kherson with US-supplied HIMARS systems, and two people were killed as a result.
"The missile attack on the hotel is a planned terrorist act, the responsibility for which is borne by the military and political leadership of Ukraine," the regional administration said.
According to the administration's spokesperson, "The building was not used for military purposes, only journalists and hotel staff were inside — peaceful and unarmed people."
The Kherson Region administration said the rescue work in the aftermath of the missile strike has not yet been completed, as emergency services are removing the rubble.
All the victims were promptly taken to hospitals, where they received all the necessary medical care, the region's administration confirmed.
This comes as the Kherson Region, along with Donetsk, Lugansk, and Zaporozhye are holding referenda that began on September 23 on the accession into the Russian Federation.
Read more: EU threatens Russia with new sanctions if referenda conducted
US, French observers monitoring referendum in Kherson region
Observers from France and the United States are monitoring the courses of the referendum taking place in Kherson, according to Marina Zakharova, the chairperson of the region's election commission.
"Foreign observers have already arrived, they are representatives of two countries - France and the United States. They expressed a desire to travel to remote areas of the Kherson region, and we provided them with such an opportunity. At the moment they are working with our voters," Zakharova told reporters.
Last week, NATO countries announced their disapproval of the referenda according to a statement revealed. The statement, furthermore, read that NATO allies won't recognize the republics due to what they called the "illegal and illegitimate annexation."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the next referenda on joining Russia will be viewed as "illegitimate" and the international community should denounce them.
On Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threatened Russia with new sanctions in the event of referenda.
"Russia, its political leadership, and all those involved in these 'referenda' and other violations of international law in Ukraine will be held accountable, and additional restrictive measures against Russia would be considered," Borrell said.
