Tuesday’s G7 crisis discussions will focus on Russia’s latest bombing campaign in Ukraine, which Kyiv’s supporters saw as a sign of desperation and a turning point in the war.
A day after Russian rockets shook the Ukrainian capital for the first time in months, their meeting is taking place. Volodymyr Zelensky, the stubborn president, retaliated by telling Moscow that his nation “cannot be intimidated.”
According to Kyiv, Moscow’s soldiers launched more than 80 missiles against Ukrainian cities on Monday.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s emergency services reported that 19 people had died and more than 100 had been injured.
The United Nations stated on Tuesday that if civilians were purposefully targeted, the wave of attacks may have broken the rules of war.
The purposeful targeting of civilians and civilian-related items “amounts to a war crime,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, who further stated that these attacks may have breached the norms of conduct of conflicts under international humanitarian law.
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The massive bombardment on Monday appeared to be a reprisal for a Saturday blast that destroyed a crucial bridge connecting Russia to Crimea, a peninsula Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, attributed the bridge explosion to Ukraine and threatened “severe” retaliation for any more assaults.
The strikes on Monday, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, demonstrated Moscow’s “desperation” following a string of humiliating military defeats.
On Tuesday, Turkey urged Russia and Ukraine to implement a workable ceasefire “as soon as possible.”
(with inputs from agencies)
