Ukraine – Condemnation of Russian strikes in Kramatorsk (June 28, 2023)

France utterly condemns the Russian strikes on a restaurant in Kramatorsk, which left at least 9 dead and 60 injured, including children, according to the Ukrainian authorities’ initial estimates, while the search for survivors in the rubble continues.

By targeting a place of leisure where Ukrainians went to seek some respite from the suffering inflicted by Russia’s war of aggression, Russia has once again deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure in a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna has repeatedly stressed, these unacceptable acts constitute war crimes and cannot go unpunished. By adding Russia to the infamous list of the Secretary-General Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict for murder, mutilation and attacks on schools and hospitals, the UN confirms the serious nature of the crimes that Russia has committed in Ukraine. We strongly reiterate our firm condemnation of Russia’s forcible transfer of Ukrainian children.

Working closely with its allies, France will continue to provide military support to Ukraine to help it strengthen its air defense capabilities, and to lend support to Ukrainian courts to combat impunity for such crimes.