Russia continues to deny being behind attacks on civilian targets. According to Ukrainian authorities, rocket attacks in Ukraine have doubled in the past two weeks. Yesterday, such an attack, not far from the port city of Odessa, killed at least 21 people. Dozens of others were injured. An apartment building and a hotel were hit in the attack. Russia says it is not behind the attack.
“It’s a mantra we’ve been hearing from the Kremlin for four months: that Russia does not attack civilian targets,” correspondent Geert Groot Kurkamp told the newspaper this morning. NOS Radio 1 News† “So, according to the Russians, it is impossible that there will be civilian casualties because of Russia.”
Russia previously denied the missile attack on the mall in Cremation joke in which there were casualties. According to the Russians, that attack was against a hangar with weapons supplied by the West. Groot Koerkamp: “So people are trying to explain the civilian casualties in some cases.”
Snake Island
The Kremlin also denies that the army was forced to leave Snake Island. “Russia says they left there so that Ukraine can export grain and other goods,” says Groot Kurkamp.
What is also striking is that Russia says it has abandoned Snake Island because the island is difficult to defend. “There are hardly any trees growing. Ukraine has attacked the island several times, but without success, says Russia. That was also a consideration for Moscow to say: then we better leave this island since all goals have been achieved there.”
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