Russia-Ukraine war: Luhansk's Ukrainian governor says members of Russian mercenary group targeted in hotel attack

The exiled Ukrainian governor for the Russian-occupied Luhansk region said that some members of the Russian Wagner mercenary group were killed in a strike by Ukrainian forces at a hotel. The governor noted that those who did survive the strike would most likely die due to inadequate medical care.

In an interview with Ukrainian television Sunday, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said that members of the Wagner mercenary group were killed in a strike by Ukrainian forces that hit a hotel in the town of Kadiivka, west of the center of the Russian-occupied region. While Haidai did not give an exact number of casualties, the exiled governor said those who survived the attack would likely end up dying due to being unable to receive proper treatment.

“They had a little pop there, just where Wagner headquarters was located,” said Haidai. “A huge number of those who were there died.”

“I am sure that at least 50 percent of those who managed to survive will die before they get medical care,” added Haidai, who has previously reported strikes hitting other targets in the region by Ukrainian forces. “This is because even in our Luhansk region, they have stolen equipment.”

Ukrainian media outlets reported that the hotel was closed for some time, according to local officials. However, the Russian state news outlet TASS said in its Telegram channel that a hotel in Stakhanov – its name for Kadiivka – was hit by a Ukrainian HIMARS missile strike and that rescue workers were trying to clear out the rubble.

The Wagner mercenary Group has long been accused of human rights violations in its aim to further Russia’s military interests all over the world. The group is operating in Ukraine, Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, and Mali. The group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also ramped up diplomacy upon speaking with his counterparts in the United States, Turkey, and France.

“We are constantly working with partners,” said Zelenskyy in his nightly address, adding that he is expecting “important results” in the coming week from several international events that focus on Ukraine.