Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov this week threatened to attack the Ukrainian capital, even if foreign politicians were visiting there. That threat became reality on Thursday.
According to the Ukrainian civil protection service, a residential building was hit. There are several injured, spokeswoman Switlana Wodolaga told the Hromadske television station. The exact number of victims was not initially known.
Guterres later told the British broadcaster BBC: “I was shocked to hear that two rockets went off in the town where I am staying.”
The detonations came shortly after Guterres condemned atrocities against civilians like the one in Bucha at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The authorities gave assurances that Guterres and his delegation were safe. According to the AFP news agency, the UN chief and his team were “shocked” by the proximity of the Russian missile attack.
The attack was one of the most violent since Russian troops withdrew in early April. In the meantime, more and more residents are returning to Kyiv. Cafes and shops had reopened and people were enjoying the spring weather outdoors, the sky over the city had just turned spectacular sunset colors at the time of the attacks – but then the missiles came.
After the shelling, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podoliak called for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the UN Security Council. The day before yesterday Guterres was still sitting in the Kremlin and “today there are explosions just a kilometer away from him. Is that a greeting from Moscow? And why is Russia again in the UN Security Council,” commented Podoliak on the attack.
