War in Ukraine: Attack on civilian convoy kills 25

An attack on a frontline civilian convoy killed at least 25 people in southern Ukraine yesterday, just hours before Moscow was due to annex four occupied Ukrainian regions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday formally annexed Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Lugansk, which his forces mostly control, at a grand Kremlin ceremony. He has warned he could use nuclear weapons to retain control of the territory as the United States leads Western allies in vowing "never" to recognise the regions as anything other than part of Ukraine.

The attack in Zaporizhzhia in the south killed at least 25 people as civilians were preparing to leave to pick up relatives, Ukrainian officials said.

"Twenty-five killed and about 50 wounded in an attack by the Russian military on a humanitarian convoy in Zaporizhzhia. Investigation launched," said the prosecutor general's office on Telegram.

Bodies of people wearing civilian clothes were left on the ground after the attack and windows of cars blown out, an AFP photographer said.

"Only complete terrorists could do this," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Bloodthirsty scum! You will definitely answer," he added.

"The enemy launched rockets on a civilian convoy leaving the city centre," said Zaporizhzhia governor Oleksandr Starukh.

But pro-Kremlin regional chief Vladimir Rogov accused Ukrainian troops of carrying out a "terrorist act"."The regime in Kyiv is trying to portray what happened as shelling by Russian troops, resorting to a heinous provocation," he said on social media.