European foreign ministers have condemned the Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra during the massive attack on Kyiv on the night of 15 June, calling it a war crime and proof that Russia has no red lines, reports a Radio Free Europe correspondent.
“For us French, it would be tantamount to bombing Notre-Dame or the Basilica of Saint-Denis,”said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.
According to him, Russia “has once again demonstrated the full brutality of its actions” by causing serious damage to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“This is, of course, completely unacceptable,” the French minister added.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, also condemned the Russian attack.
“Last night we again witnessed intensified attacks on civilians, as well as on UNESCO cultural heritage sites. All of this constitutes war crimes committed by Russia,” she said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the attack as evidence of Russia’s unwillingness to engage in peace talks.
“We have once again seen despicable attacks by the Russian side – in particular, last night against European cultural treasures of inestimable value. This shows that there is still no genuine willingness to negotiate on the Russian side,” he stated.
Wadeful emphasised that Germany would continue its policy of full support for Ukraine and further tightening of sanctions against Russia.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys described the attack on the Lavra as a blow to one of the holiest sites in the Christian world.
“This is one of the holiest sites for the Christian world. There are no longer any red lines for Russia,” he said.
According to Budrys, the shelling is yet another argument in favour of tightening sanctions against Moscow and adopting the 21st EU sanctions package.
The Lithuanian minister stated that the current proposal for sanctions is not yet tough enough. In particular, he said, the sanctions still do not include the Russian energy giants Rosatom, Rosneft and Lukoil, nor is there a complete ban on maritime services for Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’.
“This will be yet another missed opportunity to demonstrate our strength,” Budris warned.
French Minister Barro also stated that France supports further pressure on Russia, in particular through sanctions against entities facilitating the operations of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, as well as against individuals responsible for spreading Kremlin propaganda.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian troops launched a massive combined strike against Ukraine on the night of 15 June, using 70 missiles and 611 drones of various types; the main target of the strike was Kyiv, whilst Dnipro and Kharkiv were also attacked with missiles. According to the military, air defence forces neutralised 632 targets: 50 missiles and 582 drones. At the same time, 20 ballistic missiles and 27 attack drones were recorded as having struck 42 locations, and UAV debris was found at 12 locations.
In Kyiv, according to the latest official figures, four people were killed and 30, including two children, were injured as a result of the overnight Russian strike. The attack caused fires in almost all districts of the city, with damage to buildings, particularly residential homes. The strike caused fires at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Mystetskyi Arsenal and the Dovzhenko Film Studios.
Russian forces have once again attacked Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on 12 June that Russia would intensify its strikes on Ukraine.