Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced a Russian rocket attack on a store in a town in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, saying it killed at least 49 civilians and was one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.
Zelensky, who is in Granada, Spain, at a summit with about 50 European leaders aimed at drumming up support for the war-torn country, called the attack a “verifiably brutal Russian crime” and “a completely deliberate act of terrorism.” “.
The Ukrainian president urged Western allies to help strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, stating that “Russian terrorism must be stopped.”
“Russia carries out terrorist attacks like this with only one thing: to make its genocidal aggression the new norm for the entire world,” he charged.
“We are now talking to European leaders, in particular, about strengthening our air defense, strengthening our soldiers, protecting our country against terrorism. And we will respond to terrorists,” he added.
? Presidential office head Andrii Yermak and Kharkov governor Oleh Syniehubov said the dead included a six-year-old boy, adding that six other people were injured.
“The most important thing for us, especially before winter, is to strengthen air defense, and there is already a basis for new agreements with partners,” Zelensky said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging channel.
Last winter, Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy system and other vital infrastructure through constant missile and drone attacks, causing ongoing power outages across the country.
Ukraine’s energy system has demonstrated a high degree of resilience and flexibility, helping to alleviate damage, but there have been concerns that Russia will again step up its attacks on power facilities as cold weather approaches.
Zelensky also recalled that the Grenada summit will address “joint work for global food security and the protection of freedom of navigation” in the Black Sea, where the Russian army has attacked Ukrainian ports after Moscow’s withdrawal from an agreement on UN-sponsored grain, designed to ensure the safety of grain exports from the ports of the invaded country.
Source: TSF
