Firefighters try to extinguish a burning car after a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 10.Roman Hrytsyna/The Associated Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine as the country unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, including downtown Kyiv where at least six people were killed.
While speaking on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, Trudeau deplored the attacks and reiterated Canada’s support for Ukraine.
“The prime minister expressed his condolences to President Zelensky on behalf of Canadians to all Ukrainians regarding the tragic deaths caused by Russia’s actions,” a statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes were in retaliation for what he called Kyiv’s “terrorist” actions – a reference to Ukraine’s attempts to repel Moscow’s invasion forces, including a weekend attack on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Putin vowed a “tough” and “proportionate” response should Ukraine carry out further attacks that threaten Russia’s security.
“No one should have any doubts about it,” he said.
According to a tweet from Zelensky about his call with Trudeau, Zelensky “stressed the importance of a strong G7 reaction to the Russian missile terror.”
“Ukraine needs an air shield to protect civilians and critical infrastructure,” he tweeted.
Monday’s missile strikes across Ukraine marked the biggest and most widespread Russian attacks on the country in months. Ukraine’s Emergency Service said the assault killed at least 11 people and wounded at least 64.
Larisa Galadza, Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine, said staff at the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine – both local and Canadian – are safe and accounted for.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly called the attacks shocking and horrifying in a tweet.
“Targeting civilians is a war crime. We will hold Russia accountable,” Joly tweeted Monday.
Joly said she has spoken with Galadza and Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba about the missile strikes.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said the G7 countries will hold a video conference Tuesday on the situation, which Zelensky will address.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross and at least one other aid group paused their field work in Ukraine for security reasons on Monday.
“For security reasons, our teams have paused operations today,” a spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to a Reuters question. The ICRC has some 700 staff working at 10 locations across the country and delivers aid and medicine, including to the millions of people displaced by the ongoing conflict.
A second ICRC spokesperson later added that while field work had halted, aid workers were able to continue desk work. “As soon as it’s safe to move they will,” he added.
The Norwegian Refugee Council also said that it had halted its aid operations in Ukraine until it is safe to resume.
“We cannot aid vulnerable communities when our aid workers are hiding from a barrage of bombs and in fear of repeated attacks,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the NRC.
A spokesperson for the UN refugee agency said its operations continued, with staff sheltering during air raids.
With files from Reuters.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.