Russian attack kills least 49 people, Ukrainian officials say as Zelensky urges Western support

At least 49 civilians were killed Thursday in a Russian attack on a cafe and shop in a small village in northeastern Ukraine, regional governor Oleh Synehubov said, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Spain for a summit of European leaders as he attempts to garner Western support.

The strike hit the village of Hroza, which has a population of about 330 people, while people were attending a memorial service in the early afternoon, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, according to Reuters. 

Klymenko said it was not immediately known whether Russia had fired a missile or shelled the village. The Associated Press reports that a Russian rocket strike was behind the attack. 

Zelensky called the attack a "demonstrably brutal Russian crime" and "a completely deliberate act of terrorism."

He also said he is "talking with European leaders, in particular, about strengthening our air defense, strengthening our soldiers, giving our country protection from terror. And we will respond to the terrorists."

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.