‘Heinous act of terrorism’ – Kremlin condemns deadly Ukrainian attack on Donetsk

The Ukrainian shelling of the Russian city of Donetsk on Sunday that killed at least 27 civilians was a “heinous act of terrorism,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He vowed that Moscow will do everything possible to prevent such attacks from happening again.

The Ukrainian strike, which also injured 25 people, many of them seriously, hit a busy local market and shops. The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier called the attack “barbaric” and suggested it was carried out with Western support.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Peskov condemned the shelling and said the high death toll was caused by Kiev’s use of “indiscriminate weapons.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has been fully briefed and local authorities are taking all the necessary measures, the spokesman added.

“The Kiev regime continues to show its savage face, they strike at civilian infrastructure, at people, at the civilian population,” Peskov stated.

He went on to stress that the Russian Defense Ministry, the air defense forces, and other agencies are doing their utmost to ensure protection for civilians from “these kinds of terrorist attack.”

Ukraine has routinely shelled Donetsk and other cities in Donbass since 2014, when a Western-backed coup in Kiev sparked violent unrest across the country. However, the attacks have significantly intensified since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev broke out in February 2022. Russia has repeatedly stated that one of the main goals of its campaign is to protect the people of Donbass.

The deadly shelling of Donetsk on Sunday followed a similar attack launched by Ukraine on the Russian border city of Belgorod last month, killing 25 people, including children, and injuring more than a hundred. Moscow retaliated by striking Ukrainian military facilities and decision-making centers, while stressing it would not respond to such attacks by targeting civilians.