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.
âAs of this morning, we have news that at least 18 people have been killed, about 40 people are missing and about 60 are injured,â Archbishop Shevchuk said yesterday. âThis 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.â The shopping centre presented âno threat to the Russian armyâ and had âno strategic value.â
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.
âHeavy 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.â

World leaders have denounced Russiaâs deadly strike on a shopping centre in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk as âabominableâ 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 Ukraineâs president, Volodoymyr Zelenskiy.
The Ukrainian defence ministry said the attack, which is likely to become responsible for one of the warâs highest civilian death tolls in a single strike, was deliberately timed to coincide with the mallâs busiest hours and cause the maximum number of casualties.
In a joint statement, the leaders of the G7 condemned the âabominable attackâ and noted that strikes aimed at civilians were a war crime, and they pledged âunwavering supportâ for Ukraine.
âWe 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,â the statement said. âWe will not rest until Russia ends its cruel and senseless war on Ukraine.â