Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accuses the Russians of mass murder of civilians. In an open letter to the media worldwide, she called the Russian attack on Ukraine impossible to comprehend. Ukraine wants peace, but will defend itself and never surrender, she writes. She also calls for the airspace over Ukraine to be closed.
Read everything about the Russian invasion in this file.
“On February 24, we all woke up to the news of a Russian invasion,” writes Olena Zelenska. “Tanks crossed the Ukrainian border, planes entered our airspace, rocket launchers surrounded our cities. Despite assurances from Kremlin-backed propaganda channels calling this a special operation, this is actually mass murder of Ukrainian civilians.”
Olena especially points to the young victims, which she calls “perhaps the most terrifying and devastating part of this invasion”. “Eight-year-old Alice who died on the streets of Okhtirka while her grandfather tried to protect her. Or Polina from Kiev who was killed with her parents in shelling. 14-year-old Arseni who was hit in the head and could not be rescued because an ambulance could not reach him in time,” the first lady wrote. “If Russia says it is not waging war against civilians, I will first name these murdered children.”
“Our women and children live in bomb shelters. In some cities, families are unable to get out of bomb shelters for several days in a row due to the indiscriminate and deliberate bombing and shelling of civilian infrastructure.”
“The first babies of this war looked at the concrete ceiling of the basement. The first thing they inhaled was the acrid air of the underground. They were welcomed by a community that had been imprisoned and terrorized. Right now there are dozens of children who have never known peace in their lives.”
“The war in Ukraine is not just a war anywhere. This is a war in Europe and on the borders with the EU,” said the first lady. “Ukraine is holding back the troops who tomorrow may forcibly invade your cities on the pretext of rescuing civilians.”
“If we don’t stop the Putin who threatens nuclear war, there will be no safe place for us anywhere in the world. But we will win, thanks to our unity,” concludes Zelenska.
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