Slovak president calls on Russian troops to "end this terrible war"

President Zuzana Čaputová has appealed directly to Russian troops in Ukraine calling on them to end what she called "this terrible war".

In a video, speaking Russian, she appealed to Russian soldiers and commanders to put an end to the war in Ukraine, saying that with each lost civilian life, they are breaching military discipline and losing their honour.

“Russian soldiers, commanders, all concerned, if you are still capable of feeling any vestige of humanity in yourself, bring it back to life and end this terrible war,” she said.

Violence against women and children

The president urged them to put an end to violence, especially against women and children, citing numerous testimonies of acts of violence against Ukrainian women.

"You justify your invasion by talking of “liberation”. How were you intending to “liberate” Tatiana from Irpin, killed by a Russian grenade along with her two children? Or Olena from Hostomel, raped by one of you in a car?" she asked.

These women “find that words are not enough when they try to describe the pain you have made a part of their lives simply because...Well, why even? None of us knows… Do you?!”, she continued.

She added: “With each passing day, you are only increasing the army of wounded souls and bodies of women, children, and innocent people.”