For the first time, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged that the strikes that killed dozens of Ukrainian civilians were deliberate and aimed at civilian objects. This was reported by Current Time with reference to Putin’s own words.
Putin explicitly stated that Russian missiles hit the congress centre of Sumy State University when Ukrainian military personnel were being awarded. The attack killed more than 30 people. At the same time, Putin justified the attack, calling it “retaliation” for the actions of the Ukrainian army in Russia’s border regions:
“Is this a civilian facility or not? It is. But there was an award ceremony for those who committed crimes in the Kursk region… This was done precisely to punish them,” he said.
He went on to mention other attacks: in particular, on a civilian facility in Odesa region, where a missile system was allegedly being manufactured, and on a restaurant in Kryvyi Rih, where, according to him, “military meetings” were taking place.
This refers to the attack on 4 April on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih, where a rocket hit a multi-storey building and a playground. Twenty-one people were killed, including nine children. No evidence of a “military purpose” for the attack has been provided.
“They are holding a meeting in a restaurant, celebrating something, drinking vodka… Well, there was also a strike there,” Putin said, effectively admitting the deliberate killing of civilians.
Commenting on these statements, human rights activists emphasise that this is not just a crime, but a public confirmation of the Kremlin’s war crimes. Such words can be used as evidence in international courts, including the International Criminal Court.
