Denying Kyiv Allegations Of Air Attack Killed Civilians, Russia: Due To Ukrainian Air Defense Missiles

JAKARTA - Russia's Ministry of Defense in a statement dismissed allegations by Ukrainian authorities regarding missile attacks on civilian targets.

"The allegations made by Kyiv officials about the intentional Russian missile attack against civilian targets are not true at all," the ministry said, launching TASS July 8.

"A number of published photos and videos reports from Kyiv make it clear that the damage was caused by Ukraine's falling air defense missile launched from missile systems stationed within the city limits," the statement said.

According to the ministry, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a high-precision attack on the location of Ukraine's defense industry and air base, in response to Kyiv's efforts to attack energy facilities within Russia. All targeted targets were hit.

The Russian Ministry of Defense pointed out, "the Kyiv regime has been raging for years, whenever it comes to its NATO sponsorship meeting."

"The purpose of the provocation is to ensure further funding flows for the Kyiv regime and the continuation of the war to Ukraine's last," the statement added.

As previously reported, Russia rained down on cities across Ukraine with missiles that killed 29 civilians and damaged the main child hospital in Kyiv in the deadliest airstrikes in recent months.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired more than 40 missiles, damaging residential and commercial buildings and infrastructure in Kyiv, its hometown of Kryvyi Rih, the central city of Dnipro, and two cities in the eastern region.

"The whole world must act decisively to end Russian airstrikes. Murder - this is what Putin brought. Only together we can achieve true peace and security," he wrote on Telegram.

Washington, United States will host a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), at the summit which will also discuss the Ukraine conflict on July 9-11.