Man arrested for directing Russian missiles in deadly attack on Ukrainian restaurant
Ukrainian authorities have apprehended a man accused of orchestrating the missile strike that targeted a restaurant in Kramatorsk, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 people and injuring over 60 individuals, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and security officials.
Among the victims were two 14-year-old sisters and another 17-year-old teenager.
The Ria Pizza restaurant, a popular establishment frequented by locals, soldiers, aid workers, and journalists, was located in the city center.
Ukrainian security officials stated that the arrested individual, an employee of a fuel transportation company, is suspected of surveilling the restaurant on behalf of Russian forces and providing them with information regarding its popularity.
During his nightly address to the nation on Wednesday, President Zelenskyy announced, “The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the police special forces, detained the person who coordinated this terrorist attack.
“Everyone who helps Russian terrorists destroy life deserves the maximum punishment. And this applies not only to some collaborators.”
He further emphasized that the individual responsible for directing the attack would be charged with treason, potentially facing life imprisonment.
Zelenskyy warned that additional bodies may still be discovered beneath the restaurant’s rubble.
Initial reports suggested that the attack on the restaurant involved a Russian S-300 missile, a surface-to-air weapon that Moscow’s forces have adapted for indiscriminate urban assaults.
However, Ukraine’s National Police later confirmed that Iskander short-range ballistic missiles were used.
Kramatorsk, situated on the front line, serves as the Ukrainian Army’s regional headquarters.
The death toll from the attack rose to 12 on Thursday following the discovery of another body.Rescue teams continued to search for survivors amidst the debris.
The city previously experienced a devastating missile attack last year, resulting in the deaths of 52 civilians at a train station, around six weeks after Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
The missile strike on Tuesday not only claimed lives but also caused significant damage to numerous buildings, including 18 multi-story structures, 65 houses, five schools, two kindergartens, a shopping center, an administrative building, and a recreational facility, as reported by Ukraine’s Donetsk regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.
In addition to Ukrainian victims, three Colombian citizens were injured in the restaurant attack. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro expressed his concern on Twitter and announced that the country would lodge a diplomatic protest with Moscow for harming “defenceless Colombian civilians.”
The injured Colombians were identified as renowned writer Hector Abad Faciolince, former Colombian peace negotiator Sergio Jaramillo, and journalist Catalina Gomez. Abad and Jaramillo had been on a mission to express Latin American solidarity with Ukraine.
Russian officials have consistently denied targeting civilians, despite their missiles causing numerous civilian casualties and destroying civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defence acknowledged striking a facility used by Ukrainian army officers in Kramatorsk but made no mention of the pizza restaurant.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russian strikes were only carried out on objects related to military infrastructure, asserting that the Russian Federation does not target civilian infrastructure.
