At least eighteen people were killed in a Russian bombing of a shopping mall in Ukraine on Tuesday (June 28), according to local authorities, prompting strong condemnation from the G7 nations gathered in Germany, which condemned the “war crime”. In turn, the Russian military believes it hit a weapons depot, causing explosions that Moscow says set the disused shopping center on fire;Ammunition explosions intended for Western weapons caused a fire in a defunct shopping mall (…).– says the Kremlin.
“18 victims… My sincere condolences to the families and relatives. Rescuers continue to work“On Tuesday morning, acting head of the Poltava regional administration Dmitry Lunin said about this bombing in the city of Kremenchuk, which is located 330 km southeast of Kyiv and more than 200 km from the front. During the night, in the previous report of the ambulance service, 16 victims and 59 wounded were mentioned, of which 25 were hospitalized.
This is “One of the most shameless terrorist attacks in the history of Europesaid President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. he knocked”a peaceful town, an ordinary mall, inside women, children, ordinary civilians“, he emphasized.
Reactions of Western leaders
The Russian strike also killed eight civilians at a water distribution point in the east during the day, according to Kiev, which called on the G7 to end the war. “Indiscriminate attacks against innocent civilians are a war crime“The leaders of the G7 announced in the evening from the summit held in the south of Germany that “solemnly condemns the heinous attackKremenchuk and assures that Vladimir Putin will have toaccountable“.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned “absolute horrorand called on the Russian peopleto see the truth” opposite. that “will only strengthen the resolveWestern countries to support Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the shopping center was hit by Kh-22 anti-ship missiles fired by Tu-22 long-range bombers from the Kursk region of Russia.
In New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric reminded that belligerent countries are bound by international law “protect civilians and civilian infrastructure“Judging a new strike”totally deplorable“. An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the latest Russian bombings against civilian targets in Ukraine is scheduled for Tuesday at 19:00 GMT, the Albanian Presidency of the UN has learned.
“Shots were fired at the crowd»
A few hours after the announcement of the bombing of Kremenchuk, the Ukrainian authorities announced another deadly attack by Russia against the civilians of Lysychansk, a strategic point of Ukrainian resistance in the Donbas basin (East). In the twin cities of Severodonetsk, recently captured by the Russians, at least eight Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than two dozen injured, including two children, while “they collected water from the cistern“, said the governor of Luhansk region, Sergi Gaidai. “The Russians fired multiple Hurricane rocket launchers into the crowd“, he condemned.
Lisichansk is the last major city left in this province for Russians. “Our defenders are holding the line, but the Russians are turning the city into ruins with artillery, aviation… The infrastructure is completely destroyed.Sergui Gaidai elaborated. Seizing Donbass, already partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, has been the Russians’ priority since they evacuated the area around Kiev in late March. Five people were killed and 22 injured, including five children, in fresh Russian strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local authorities said.
“As long as“It will be necessary
Speaking via video conference before the announcements of the Kremenchuk and Lisichansk attacks, Vladimir Zelensky told G7 leaders gathered at Elmau Castle in the Bavarian Alps that it was “there is no time for negotiationswith Moscow and insistedThe need for full, complete and highly operational support for Ukraine“According to the comments reported by the French presidency.
Seven industrial powers (Germany, USA, France, Canada, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom) pledged their support to him.as long as necessary“. Meanwhile, the G7 will continue to “increase pressure on (Vladimir) PutinGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is hosting this summit, has assured, especially through a new salvo of sanctions against the Russian economy.
Western countries, led by the United States, want to tighten Moscow’s noose, targeting Russia’s defense industry in particular, a senior White House official said, and intend to develop “Mechanism of global limitation of Russian oil price“. So does the G7coordinate to help Ukraine enforce tariffs on Russian goods“, according to the same source.
Source: Le Figaro
