Kremlin rebuts EU criticism and denies attacks against Kyiv

The Kremlin today refuted the European Union’s (EU) criticism of the attack on the EU delegation in Kyiv, arguing that the Russian army never attacks civilian infrastructure.

“The Russian Armed Forces are fulfilling their missions. They, as has been said, continue to attack military or quasi-military infrastructure,” said Dmitry Peskov, presidential spokesman, in his daily telephone press conference, in which he recalled that an air truce with Kyiv was never agreed upon.

He added that it is the Ukrainian army that is attacking the Russian “peaceful infrastructure”, alluding, among other things, to Kiev’s bombings against the Russian refineries that supply fuel to the Russian war machine.

“The attacks are successful, the targets are destroyed. The special military operation continues. At the same time, Russia maintains its interest in the continuation of the negotiating process to achieve its goals precisely through political and diplomatic means,” he stressed.

The delegation of the European Union (EU) in Kyiv was “deliberately” damaged during the Russian air strikes last night, denounced the President of the European Council, António Costa, who declared himself “horrified” this Thursday.

“The EU will not be intimidated. Russian aggression only reinforces our resolve to stand by Ukraine and its people,” said Costa, who shared a photo of an office with broken window panes and multiple damages.

For her part, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, lamented that “while the world seeks a path to peace, Russia responds with missiles” and said that the attack of the past dawn “shows a deliberate decision to escalate tension and mock peace efforts”.

“Russia must stop the killings and negotiate,” he asserted.

The Russian Ministry of Defense admitted to having attacked targets in Ukrainian territory tonight with drones and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which left a toll of 14 civilians dead in Kyiv.

According to the military statement, the Russian army launched a combined attack with long-range precision weapons launched from aircraft and assault drones.

The objective, the war report on Telegram specifies, was Ukrainian airfields and enemy military industry facilities. However, Russian missiles and bombs hit residential buildings in several districts of the Ukrainian capital.

“At 11:00 a.m., information about 14 deaths as a result of the Russian attack has been confirmed. Among the dead are three minors: a two-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old girl,” reported the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the Ukrinform agency, at least ten people remain missing and fifty have been injured.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported in its morning update that the enemy launched a total of 598 drones and 31 missiles overnight – including Kh-101 cruise missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal against Ukrainian territory.