Injured Ukrainian civilians after the attack, October 10. (source: TASR/AP)
A cowardly act of terrorism and crime is what Slovak officials called the Monday morning Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.
“I strongly condemn today’s cowardly attacks by Russian forces on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Russia attempts to spread fear and terror won’t break Ukraine's resolve and discourage our support,” Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OĽaNO) wrote on Twitter.
Russia is reported to have fired 75 missiles towards Ukraine on Monday, targeting multiple towns and cities around the country. The capital Kyiv, shaken by the explosions, reported casualties and the wounded among civilians. Leader of the Russian regime, Vladimir Putin, linked the attacks to the explosion of Kerch Strait Bridge, connecting the Crimean Peninsula with Russia.
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová called the attacks cynical and a sign of weakness. "Slovakia stands by Ukraine and its people," she reiterated.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Rastislav Káčer, on a state trip to Brussels, condemned the attack as “another unacceptable crime against innocent citizens".
"All those responsible will be held accountable for the crimes committed,” Káčer wrote.
Slovakia has been supporting Ukraine throughout the war. On October 9, two more Slovak-made Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers were delivered to Ukraine, the Defence Ministry reported. Ukraine now has six howitzers of this type manufactured by the state-run Konštrukta Defence company, delivered on the basis of a contract for commercial sale. The contract was made for eight howitzers. In addition to those, Konštrukta Defense will manufacture another 16 howitzers, to be financed jointly by the Danish, German, and Norwegian governments.
According to latest Globsec poll, Slovak public opinion is leaning towards support for Ukrainian victory in the war. Out of 1,009 respondents, 47 percent want Ukraine to win.
