60 People Are Feared Dead After Russia Bombed a School Shleter

• A Russian bomb destroyed a school in the Donbas region where 90 people were sheltering. 
• Officials said they fear that all 60 people still stuck under the rubble are dead, CNN reported. 
• This comes a day before “Victory Day,” where Putin is expected to announce some kind of win in Ukraine. 

As many as 60 people are feared dead after a Russian bomb destroyed a school where 90 people were sheltering in the basement in the Donbas region, The Associated Press reported. 

Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said it’s not very likely they’ll find anyone else alive after Saturday’s explosion, CNN reported. 

“The explosion happened inside the building. Rescuers [are] dismantling the debris as quickly as possible. The chances of finding [anyone still] alive are very small. There were 90 people inside the school building; 27 survived, 60 people most likely died,” Hayday said, according to CNN.

The AP reported that two bodies were also found in the debris. In the nearby town of Pryvillia, an 11 year old and a 14 year old boy were killed by shelling.

CNN reported that the bomb caused several fires to break out, which took hours to extinguish. The ongoing fighting had also slowed down rescue efforts. 

This comes as Ukrainians keep fighting Russia’s invasion ahead of Russia’s “Victory Day” on May 9. The annual event celebrates the Soviet Union defeating Nazi Germany in 1945 during World War II. However, NPR reported that amidst the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has grown the prominence of the day and there’s speculation that he plans to announce some degree of a victory in Ukraine. 

There’s been heavy fighting in Ukraine’s eastern region, Hayday said on Sunday, adding that the Ukrainian army withdrew from the embattled city of Popasna, in Luhansk province, in Donbas. However, he added that they had moved to pre-approved stronger positions. 

“All free settlements in the Luhansk region are hot spots,” Haidai said. “Right now, there are shooting battles in (the villages) of Bilohorivka, Voivodivka and towards Popasna.”