Russian terror: a missile explosion in Dnipro has shaken the civilized world

Russia’s most recent crime – the massive missile attack on the Ukrainian critical infrastructure on Saturday and specifically the strike on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro that took the lives of at least 36 persons and wounded 75 more – could not but give rise to indignation in the world we call civilized.

“How’s it to be next to a butcher in the Chamber?” Ukraine’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Serhiy Kyslytsya, asks the U.N. Security Council members. “Do you feel warm & sticky blood when you shake his hand? Next time you shake his hand think about civilians killed by russian missiles in Dnipro! Think about it when the butchers speak of russian church that blessed russian army.”

How’s it to be next to a butcher in the Chamber? Do you feel warm & sticky blood when you shake his hand? Next time you shake his hand think about civilians killed by russian missiles in #Dnipro! Think about it when the butchers speak of russian church that blessed russian army pic.twitter.com/zHBqbmotOg

— Sergiy Kyslytsya (@SergiyKyslytsya) January 14, 2023

Below are just a few reactions to the latest war crime by Russia.

Paul Massaro, a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Helsinki Commission:

This could be Washington. It could be Berlin. It could be London. But it’s Dnipro because Ukraine is defending all of us. They deserve better than to be left to Russian terrorists.

This could be Washington. It could be Berlin. It could be London. But it's Dnipro because Ukraine is defending all of us. They deserve better than to be left to Russian terrorists pic.twitter.com/x9sIaV0fTf

— Paul Massaro (@apmassaro3) January 14, 2023

Gitanas Nausėda, President of Lithuania:

Russia is a terrorist state. They bring destruction, death & immense suffering everywhere they go. Atrocities, mass killings, attacks on residential buildings – like today in Dnipro – will never be forgiven & forgotten. The time for accountability will come. Lithuania stands with Ukraine!

Russia is a terrorist state.

They bring destruction, death & immense suffering everywhere they go.

Atrocities, mass killings, attacks on residential buildings – like today in Dnipro – will never be forgiven& forgotten. The time for accountability will come.
 
🇱🇹 stands with 🇺🇦! pic.twitter.com/22iLd0OFOP

— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) January 14, 2023

Kaja Kallas, PM of Estonia:

With attacks on Dnipro and elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia has again proven it is a terrorist state. My call to allies and partners: let us ramp up our support. Ukraine needs weapons, including tanks and air defense. Russia must be held accountable for all crimes committed.

With attacks on #Dnipro and elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia has again proven it is a terrorist state.

My call to allies and partners: let us ramp up our support. #Ukraine needs weapons, including tanks and air defence. #Russia must be held accountable for all crimes committed.

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) January 15, 2023

Guy Verhofstadt, MEP, former PM of Belgium:

After Russia’s terror attack today, let’s give up on incremental sanctions & go for one set:

• • Against all western companies & individuals who deal with Russia;
  • Navalny’s list of 6,700 Putin cronies;
  • Send the frozen €300 billion of Russian Central Bank directly to Ukraine!

After Russia's terror attack today, let’s give up on incremental sanctions & go for one set:

– against all western companies & individuals who deal with Russia;
– Navalny's list of 6.700 Putin cronies;
– Send the frozen €300 billion of Russian Central Bank directly to Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/oqlw38G2jX

— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) January 14, 2023

The White House condemned Russia’s latest bombardment of Ukraine on Saturday, according to CNN.

“These strikes are another example of the brutal and barbaric war Russia is waging, attacking Ukraine’s critical infrastructure — which provides light and heat to Ukrainian civilians,” a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said in a written statement.

“The United States will continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself, including air defense systems, along with our allies and partners – and we will continue our work to hold Russian forces accountable for their war crimes and atrocities. Russia continues to underestimate the strength and resolve of the Ukrainian people, and these latest attempts to demoralize them will fail yet again,” the spokesperson said.

On Friday, the day before the attack, the former president of Lithuania Dalia Hrybauskaitė told reporters in the Seimas:

“Since the beginning of the war, I have been saying that we cannot just watch and stand aside and allow such a brutal state to trample, destroy and kill our neighbors. To a large extent, we are all to blame for the fact that this is happening now. We, NATO countries, help so slowly and insufficiently in this struggle for freedom and for life in Ukraine.”

Photo: AP – Evgeniy Maloletka via RFI