The attack on Yavoriv International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security early Monday led to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky renewing his call to NATO to impose a no-flying zone.
“If you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory, on NATO territory, on the homes of NATO citizens,” Zelensky said in a video address, according to news agency AFP. “Last year, I clearly warned NATO leaders that if there were no harsh preventive sanctions against the Russian Federation, it would go to war. We were right,” he further added.
More than 134 people were wounded and 35 people died when Russia launched high-precision, long-range weapons to target the Yavoriv International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security. Along with this facility another facility in the village of Starichi was attacked, news agency Reuters reported.
Russia also accepted that it launched the strikes after warning on Saturday that it will target Western arms shipments to Ukraine. It also said that 180 foreign mercenaries and a large amount of foreign weapons were destroyed in the attack, Reuters reported citing defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov. It said that the attack destroyed a large amount of weapons supplied by foreign nations.
The Yavoriv International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security earlier hosted NATO drills but the Ukrainian media reported that no NATO officials were present in the complex when it was attacked.
The United States and United Kingdom warned that any attack on NATO allies and members will invite swift repercussions. “We condemn the Russian Federation’s missile attack on the International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security in Yavoriv, close to Ukraine’s border with Poland,” Blinken said in a tweet.
UK defence secretary Ben Wallace said that the attack was a significant escalation. The Yavoriv base is less than 25 kms away from the Polish border.
Meanwhile, both sides are scheduled to meet later on Monday for the fourth time to discuss means of de-escalating the conflict. The sides expressed marginal optimism ahead of the talks. Leonid Slutsky will lead the Russian delegation in the talks that are going to be held on Monday.
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