EU considers Russian strike on building near EU mission deliberate
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova have condemned the Russian Federation's night attack on Kyiv, which damaged the EU Delegation building.
"Another night of Russia’s relentless bombings struck civilian infrastructure and killed innocents. It also hit our EU Delegation in Kyiv. Our Delegation staff is safe. Russia must stop its indiscriminatory attacks on civilian infrastructure immediately and join negotiations for a just and lasting peace," von der Leyen said on X.
European Council President Costa also expressed condolences for the deaths of Ukrainians after the Russian attack.
"My thoughts are with the Ukrainian victims, as well as with the staff of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, whose building was damaged as a result of this deliberate Russian strike. The EU will not be intimidated. Russia's aggression only strengthens our resolve to support Ukraine and its people," he said on X.
The EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Maternova, noted on Facebook that Kyiv had suffered one of the most massive strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to her, the precision strike destroyed a building adjacent to the Delegation of the European Union.
"A precision strike destroyed a building adjacent to the European Union Delegation. Its blast wave severely damaged our building and also a residential tower where many colleagues live. Thankfully, they are all safe. But shaken and horrified. What they endured during 12 hours of nonstop alarms is unimaginable," the ambassador said.
Maternova strongly condemned the Russian attack on Kyiv, calling it "not a military operation, but terror."
"The war directly affected them last night. The war affected the European Union. And no one will convince me that this was not Putin's intention. No one is safe. Not families in their homes. Not children in their beds. Not those who represent the EU in Kyiv. Putin will stop at nothing. He bombs, destroys, kills. This is not a military operation. This is terror," the ambassador said.
Maternova also stressed that the EU supports Ukraine, because "this war deeply affects all of us. And together we must confront it."