Perpetrators will be punished for these atrocities - EU on shelling of Vinnytsia
The European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič issued a statement in connection with the missile attack on Vinnitsa, which caused significant loss of life: the perpetrators will be held accountable for these atrocities.
The text of the statement was distributed on Thursday in Brussels by the External Diplomatic Service of the EU, reports Censor.NЕТ, with reference to Іnterfax-Ukraine.
"Today, Russian invasion forces in Ukraine attacked a civilian building and cultural center in the city of Vinnytsia, killing more than 20 people and wounding dozens more, many of them in critical condition. The European Union condemns in the strongest terms these indiscriminate shelling of ongoing civilian targets, including hospitals, medical facilities, schools and shelters. This atrocity in Vinnytsia is the latest in a long series of brutal attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure," the statement said.
Borrell and Lenarčič recalled that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine "has been raging in the country for more than four and a half months. "Bucha, Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Kremenchug, Slavyansk, Chasiv Yar, Kharkiv, Odessa, and now Vinnitsa - the Russian Armed Forces and their murtaddies are leaving a bloody trail in Ukraine. Thousands of civilians have already been killed. This barbaric behavior of Russia in complete disregard of international humanitarian law must be stopped immediately," they are convinced.
High-ranking Europeans stated that both have seen with their own eyes the terrible destruction that Russia has inflicted on Ukraine and its people. "Civilians continue to suffer great losses in this war because of Russia's principled disregard for international humanitarian law, facing death, violence, in particular sexual violence, forced deportation and annihilation. There can be no impunity for the violations and crimes committed by Russian forces" and their political superiors.
All those responsible for these atrocities will be held accountable for their actions under International Law. The EU supports all efforts to ensure accountability for violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law," the statement said.
