Kyiv: Major Archbishop of Ukraine Svyatoslav Shevchuk has condemned the Russian missile attack on a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in Poltava, Ukraine. The archbishop criticized the move, saying it could only be seen as a move to overthrow ordinary people.

“As of this morning, we have news that at least 18 people have been killed, about 40 people are missing and about 60 are injured,” Archbishop Shevchuk said yesterday. “This is the largest terrorist attack in Europe in decades.

Today we sympathise, express our prayerful closeness to the relatives and friends of the victims, all the wounded as a result of this terrorist act.” The shopping centre presented “no threat to the Russian army” and had “no strategic value.”

The archbishop praised Ukrainians, especially young people defending their homeland against the Russian invasion, which began February 24. Archbishop Shevchuk said many service members had been teachers, scientists, doctors or artists before the war.

“Heavy fighting is taking place along the entire front line. But Ukraine is standing. Ukraine is fighting. And we thank the Lord God and the armed forces of Ukraine that we have survived to this morning and can see the light of day.”

World leaders have denounced Russia’s deadly strike on a shopping centre in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk as “abominable” and a war crime.
The search for survivors continues after the missile strike on a mall that had hundreds of people in it at the time, according to Ukraine’s president, Volodoymyr Zelenskiy.

The Ukrainian defence ministry said the attack, which is likely to become responsible for one of the war’s highest civilian death tolls in a single strike, was deliberately timed to coincide with the mall’s busiest hours and cause the maximum number of casualties.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the G7 condemned the “abominable attack” and noted that strikes aimed at civilians were a war crime, and they pledged “unwavering support” for Ukraine.

“We stand united with Ukraine in mourning the innocent victims of this brutal attack. Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime. [Vladimir] Putin and those responsible will be held to account,” the statement said. “We will not rest until Russia ends its cruel and senseless war on Ukraine.”