A Russian missile that struck a train station in Kramatorsk, Ukraine — killing at least 50 — had a Russian phrase scribbled on its side that translated to “for the children,” pushing Russian propaganda.
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of purposefully killing civilians, including children, and the message on the missile may have been meant to advance that claim.
Sergej Sumlenny, an expert on Russia who tweeted about the incident, said the message may have been meant to indicate that it was sent in the name of the Russian children who have suffered or been killed.
Children were among those reportedly killed in the deadly attack on the Kramatorsk rail station, adding to the growing mass civilian casualties from the war.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of targeting shelters with children. In March, Russia struck a theater in Mariupol that had the word “children” written on both sides of it, killing more than 300 people. About 1,200 women and children were hiding there.
In the Kramatorsk strike, 5 children were among the 50 people killed. One hundred people were injured. Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said women and children made up a majority of the nearly 4,000 people who were taking shelter inside the station, according to the BBC.
The train station was being used to assist in civilian evacuations. “Not having the strength and courage to confront us on the battlefield, they are cynically destroying the civilian population. This is evil that knows no bounds. And if it is not punished it will never stop,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook post Friday. (The Hill)
