On Friday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a missile assault on his city of Kyiv was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s way of giving UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the West the “middle finger” over the conflict in Ukraine.
The attack on Kyiv on Thursday killed at least one person and injured ten others, and it was the first since Russia refocused its efforts on eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. Guterres and his staff were unharmed.
The assaults were the most daring Russian assault on the capital since Moscow’s forces withdrew weeks ago after failing to capture the city. Russia is now advancing towards the Donbas, Ukraine’s eastern industrial sector, which the Kremlin has stated is its primary goal.
The missile attacks, according to Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst and head of the Penta Center think tank in Kyiv, sent a message: “Russia is sending a clear signal about its intention to continue the war despite the international pressure.”
“With this missile strike, the Kremlin is sending a warning to all international structures and organisations trying to influence or contain Russia’s aggressive military plans,” Fesenko added. “While Russia has so far failed to score any significant gains in Ukraine, it intends to continue its offensive and keep striking cities with missiles.”
Responding to Russia’s aggression, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “I was moved by the resilience and bravery of the people of Ukraine. My message to them is simple: We will not give up.”
He also added that “the UN will redouble its efforts to save lives and reduce human suffering. In this war, as in all wars, the civilians always pay the highest price.”
I was moved by the resilience and bravery of the people of Ukraine. My message to them is simple: We will not give up.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 29, 2022
The @UN will redouble its efforts to save lives and reduce human suffering. In this war, as in all wars, the civilians always pay the highest price. pic.twitter.com/dd1OsyzAOb
Image Credit: Getty
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