Victoria Amelina, a celebrated Ukrainian author, tragically lost her life in a Russian missile strike on a restaurant in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. The restaurant was known to be frequented by journalists and aid workers. Amelina, 37, had shifted her focus from literature to documenting Russian war crimes following the 2022 invasion.

The attack, which occurred on June 27, resulted in at least 11 fatalities and 61 injuries. The restaurant was typically bustling with activity around dinnertime. Ukrainian authorities subsequently apprehended a man suspected of assisting Russia in orchestrating the strike. This attack, along with others across Ukraine on the same day, indicated that the Kremlin's bombardment of the country continues unabated, despite the recent political and military turmoil in Russia following a brief armed rebellion.

Amelina was in Kramatorsk with a delegation of Colombian writers and journalists at the time of the attack. She had been working with the human rights organization Truth Hounds to document Russian war crimes. PEN Ukraine confirmed her death after her family was notified.

The image above depicts the scene in Kramatorsk after the Russian attack, showing the devastation to the RIA Pizza restaurant and surrounding area.

Polina Sadovskaya, Eurasia director at PEN America, praised Amelina's powerful voice and literary sensibility, highlighting her meticulous documentation of the impact of human rights violations on Ukrainians. Born in Lviv in 1986, Amelina's literary career began with her debut novel, "The November Syndrome, or Homo Compatiens," which was shortlisted for the Valeriy Shevchuk Prize. She also authored two award-winning children's books and the acclaimed novel "Dom's Dream Kingdom," which garnered national and international recognition, including the UNESCO City of Literature Prize and the European Union Prize for Literature.

Following the invasion, Amelina dedicated herself to documenting Russian war crimes in eastern Ukraine. Her work led her to discover the diary of Volodymyr Vakulenko, a Ukrainian writer killed by Russian forces. Shortly before her death, Amelina began working on her first English nonfiction piece, "War and Justice Diary: Looking at Women Looking at War," which chronicles the stories of Ukrainian women gathering evidence of Russian war crimes. The book is expected to be published soon.