“Together we can stop Russia’s brutal attacks. We must urgently advance comprehensive air defense solutions for Ukraine,” he added.
Russian attack on hypermarket in Kharkov
On Saturday afternoon, the Russians shelled Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, the country’s second-largest city. 16 killed in attack on “Epicenter” DIY hypermarket.
On Saturday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that more than 200 people may have been inside the hypermarket when the attack took place.
“Russia dealt another brutal blow to our Kharkov city – a construction hypermarket – mid-Saturday,” Zelensky said in a Telegram. He condemned the Russian attack on a “clearly civilian” target. “Only madmen like Putin can kill and terrorize people in such a despicable way,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Reactions to the Russian Attack
French President Emmanuel Macron said the Russian attack on a hypermarket in Kharkov was “unacceptable”. “France shares the pain of the Ukrainians and expresses its full commitment to cooperation,” Macron wrote on Platform X, while lamenting the “many victims, children, women, men”.
A source in the Russian defense establishment said the attack destroyed a “military warehouse and command post” located in the building, AFP reported, citing Russian state media.
President Zelensky again called on his Western allies to donate more air defense systems. “If Ukraine had adequate air defense systems and modern fighter jets, such Russian attacks would be impossible,” he argued. “Every day we appeal to the world: give us air defense, save people,” Zelensky added.