On Friday (4/28/23), the Russian military fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones, killing 23 people in the city of Uman. According to reports, three children (two 10-year-olds and a toddler) were among the dead. Analysts and Ukrainian officials claim that such strikes are tactics and deliberate intimidation strategies the Kremlin uses to scare Ukrainians.
Although the Ukrainian military was able to shoot down most of the missiles, they claim that a few evaded their defenses, slamming into an apartment building. Per Lt. General Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s Defense Ministry Spokesperson, the long-range missiles and drone attacks are aimed at places where Ukrainian military reserve units stay before they are deployed to the battlefield. Igor continued to explain that the attack achieved its goal because the designated facilities were hit.
After the attack, Catherine Colonna, the French foreign minister, insisted that France would continue to support Ukraine. Colonna and the French government are willing to help Ukrainian courts and the International Criminal Court (ICC) fight against impunity and Kremlin war crimes. The French foreign ministry continued to condemn Russia’s actions because they are targeting residential buildings, leading to civilian casualties, including children!
