Strike that hit Ukraine floods rescue boat kills three: Governor

Three people were killed and another ten injured as Russia shelled a rescue boat evacuating civilians after a devastating flood in southern Ukraine, regional authorities said.

Civilians were being evacuated from the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnipro River in the southern region of Kherson, authorities said.

“Three civilians were killed, another ten were injured, including two law enforcement officers,” said the governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin.

He said that a 74-year-old man covered a woman with his body when Russian troops opened fire.

“The Russians shot him in the back. He died of his wounds,” Prokudin said in a post on social media.

The Russian-controlled Kakhovka dam along the front line in the Kherson region was destroyed on Tuesday, forcing thousands to flee and sparking fears of humanitarian as well as environmental disasters.

Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the dam on the Dnipro River, while Moscow says Kyiv fired upon it.

While Ukrainian authorities quickly launched a rescue operation, many living on Russian-controlled territory say they have been left to their own devices.