Sibiha: Putin tells G7 and EU to rely on terror instead of diplomacy

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha said that a new massive Russian airstrike on Ukraine shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting on terror instead of diplomacy, sending a message to the G7 and European Council summits taking place this week.

Sibiha called on G7 leaders and European officials to, as he said, hear this message well and provide an adequate response by strengthening Ukrainian air defense and putting additional pressure on Russia.

He said at least four people were killed and nearly 30 wounded in a massive Russian attack on Kiev. According to him, more than 60 missiles and hundreds of drones were used in the attack.

Sibiha also stated that Russia killed five emergency service members in what he called a vicious double strike on Kharkiv, while there were also casualties in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia and other regions.

He accused Moscow of targeting religious and cultural sites, saying the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was severely damaged, and the historic Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Studio was bombed, destroying the largest and oldest costume collection in Ukraine. He added that the Kharkiv Art Museum and the Dnieper House of Organ and Chamber Music were also hit.

"Russia has no justification for destroying lives, targeting residential areas, and destroying Ukrainian culture. It must answer for its crimes," Sibiha said.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed that the attack demonstrates the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine's air defense, which he said is a number one priority. He called for additional contributions to the PURL initiative, as well as decisions on the delivery of air defense systems and interceptors.

He also called on partners to accelerate European efforts led by Ukraine to develop their own protection against ballistic threats, saying it was time to strip barbarians like Putin of their terrorist tools.