Russian actress Polina Menshih died in a suspected HIMARS strike near the front line in Ukraine during an artistic performance for occupying forces, the BBC and The Moscow Times reported.

HIMARS systemPhoto: US Air Force / Zuma Press / Profimedia Images

This information has now appeared in the Russian mass media, although the strike took place on November 19 and Kyiv reported on it on Monday. Ukraine claims that 20 Russian soldiers were killed during the shelling of the village of Kumachove, which is about 60 kilometers behind the front line in the Donetsk region.

The Russian authorities have not yet commented on the attack, the news of Menshikh’s death was announced on VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, by the St. Petersburg theater where she worked.

“It is with great pain that we inform you that Polina Menshikh (…) died as a result of shelling during a performance in Donbas,” Portal Theater said.

Later, this information was confirmed by TASS in the Donetsk region.

According to information that appeared on Russian social networks, Menshikh was performing in a hall for 150 people when the area was shelled. The actress died of her injuries in the hospital.

The shot that killed the actress was allegedly fired from HIMARS systems

A video that appeared on social networks seemed to capture the exact moment of the impact:

Several officials appointed by the Russians in their occupied territories in Donetsk said that the strike was carried out by the 27th rocket artillery brigade using HIMARS systems as well as other types of missiles.

Russian military blogger Platon Mamadov, in turn, stated that the attack was carried out with the help of HIMARS systems received by Ukraine from the US, and also claimed that the artists’ cars and their dressing room were also damaged during the strike.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last September announced the annexation of the Donetsk region of Ukraine to Russia, although his armed forces did not control the entire territory of the region and have not been able to establish control over it since then.

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