The European Union on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest terms” the Russian missile attack on a shopping center in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, which it describes as “one more heinous act in a series of attacks against civilians”.

“This is yet another heinous act in a series of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure by the Russian military, including the latest missile attacks on buildings and civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and elsewhere. Continued shelling of civilians and civilian targets is reprehensible and totally unacceptable, and amounts to a war crime,” EU Foreign Policy High Representative Josep Borrell said in a statement.

Noting that “hundreds of innocent civilians would have been present in the shopping center at the time of the attack”, the head of European diplomacy reaffirmed on Monday that “Russia bears full responsibility for these acts of aggression and for all the destruction and loss of property “of the lives it causes” and “will be held accountable”.

“The EU reiterates its full solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The EU will continue to provide strong support for Ukraine’s economic, military, social and financial resistance, including humanitarian aid,” the statement concluded.

Monday’s attack on a shopping center in Kremenchuk, central Ukraine, coincided with the second day of the G7 summit of major economic powers. [Alemanha, Canadá, Estados Unidos, França, Itália, Japão e Reino Unido, estando também representada a UE]in the Bavarian Alps of southern Germany, a meeting largely dominated by the war started by Russia.

Described as a “shameful act of terrorism” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the missile attack left at least 18 dead and dozens injured, according to the latest report from local authorities.

The war in Ukraine began with the Russian invasion on February 24. The UN has already confirmed the death of more than 4,600 civilians, but warns that the true toll will be considerably higher.

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