Zelensky said that he was unpleasantly surprised by the US reaction to the strike on Krivoy Rog.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky was surprised that the American side did not condemn Russia for the missile attack on Krivoy Rog. Moscow said it had hit the venue of the military meeting. Kiev claims that the missile hit a residential area, killing at least 16 people. European leaders have directly condemned Russia's actions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was surprised by the reaction of the American embassy after the strike on Krivoy Rog, as reported in his Telegram channel.
"Unfortunately, the reaction of the American embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people, and such a weak reaction. They are even afraid to say the word "Russian" when talking about the rocket that killed children," Zelensky wrote.
The Ukrainian leader urged not to leave such attacks without reaction. He noted that many people supported Ukraine. He thanked the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Austria, the Embassies of Japan, Great Britain, Switzerland and Germany, as well as the head of the EU diplomatic mission, Kaya Kallas.
"Yes, the war must end. But to complete it, one must not be afraid to call a spade a spade. We must not be afraid to put pressure on the only one who continues this war and ignores all peace proposals to end it. We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of cease-fire. It is necessary to impose additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic attacks on neighboring people. We must do everything possible to save lives," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president added that Ukraine had discussed with the United States the provision of additional air defense systems to protect against such attacks. The American side promised Kiev to help with the search for additional Patriot air defense systems.
A blow to Krivoy Rog
On April 4, the Ministry of Defense reported that at 18:49, the Russian Armed Forces fired a high-explosive missile at the venue of a meeting with unit commanders and Western instructors in a restaurant in the city of Krivoy Rog.
"As a result of the strike, the enemy's losses amounted to up to 85 military personnel and officers of foreign countries, as well as up to 20 units of automotive equipment," the report says.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claims that the strike hit residential buildings and a playground. According to them, the Russian Armed Forces used the Iskander-M ballistic missile with a cluster warhead, which is designed to destroy a large area. The Ukrainian side intends to transfer some evidence of violations of international humanitarian law to the international criminal justice authorities.
According to the head of the Dnipro regional Military Administration, Sergei Lysak, 72 people were injured as a result of the strike on Krivoy Rog. Zelensky reported the deaths of 17 people. Local authorities also claim that 34 high-rise buildings, six educational institutions, several civilian infrastructure facilities (shops and cafes), and dozens of cars were damaged.
Three days of mourning have been declared in the city.
Zelensky said that the Russian Armed Forces allegedly also used drones during the rescue operation in Krivoy Rog. As a result of the incident, seven people were injured and one died.
According to RBC-Ukraine, firefighters eliminated all fires at night, and by 02:45 all rescue operations were completed. The utilities worked all night, as a result of which the trams were restored by 06:00. However, some consumers still do not have electricity and gas. These problems are eliminated. Residents of Krivoy Rog can get help from special headquarters, which were deployed immediately after the strike. They also accept applications for financial assistance.
"Despite all the difficulties, all services, public transport, hospitals and social institutions are working in Krivoy Rog," said Alexander Vilkul, head of the military administration of the city.
The US reaction
The US Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, was horrified by the blow to Krivoy Rog. She wrote that this was another reason why the military conflict needed to be ended. RBC-Ukraine writes that the ambassador allegedly avoided directly mentioning Russia's responsibility for the incident. At the same time, European politicians condemned the actions of the Russian side.
Alyona Fomina
