KTIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has slammed the US embassy for what he called a “weak” statement that did not blame Russia for a missile strike on his hometown which killed 18 people, including nine children.
In one of the deadliest strikes in recent weeks, a Russian missile on Friday evening struck a residential area near a children’s playground in the central Ukrainian town of Kryvyi Rig.
Seventy-two people were wounded, 12 of them children, Dnipropetrovsk governor Sergiy Lysak said after the end of emergency operations overnight, with city officials declaring three days of mourning.
Zelenskyy in an emotional statement on social media named each of the children killed in the attack, accusing the US embassy of avoiding referring to Russia as the aggressor.
This, while Zelenskyy hailed “tangible progress” after meeting British and French military chiefs in Kyiv to discuss strengthening the Ukrainian army and ways to support the war-torn country after any end to hostilities with Russia.
British Chief of the Defense Staff Tony Radakin and his French counterpart Thierry Burkhard on Friday held talks with Zelenskyy, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
“Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people — and such a weak reaction,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“They are even afraid to say the word ‘Russian’ when talking about the missile that killed the children.”
Zelenskyy singled out the United States for criticism at a time when US President Donald Trump is pushing for a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine while seeking a thaw in ties with Moscow.
The Ukrainian president took aim at the US Ambassador Bridget Brink after she posted a message on X on Friday evening that said: “Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant.”