51 People Killed In Missile Attack In Kupiansk, President Zelensky: Russia's Terror Must Stop

Russian missile attacks destroyed shops and cafes in Kupiansk. (Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Russia's attack as intentional and brutal, as a missile hit shops and cafes at lunch hours in Kupiansk on Thursday.

51 people were killed, six injured and three others missing, when a missile hit cafes and shops in Hroza Village, Kupiansk District, Kharkiv Region, local police told national television.

Speaking while attending a summit with European leaders in Spain, President Zelensky said, "Russian terror must be stopped".

"Now we are talking to European leaders, in particular, about strengthening our air defenses, about strengthening our army, about protecting our country from terror," he said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

The attack has been the deadliest in Kharkiv's territory since the Russian invasion more than 19 months ago, a spokesman for Kharkiv's regional military rule told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

"The intentional missile attack against a village in the Kharkiv region against an ordinary shop and cafe. Russian soldiers may not be aware of where they attacked. This is not an indiscriminate attack," President Zelensky said in a video at night.

The attack also appears to be one of Russia's missile attacks with the largest number of civilian casualties since the start of the war.

"The terrorists deliberately carried out attacks during lunch hours, to determine the maximum number of victims," said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

"There is no military target there. This is a heinous crime meant to scare Ukrainians," he criticized.

Separately, Russia did not immediately comment on the incident in Hroza. Moscow had previously denied deliberately targeting civilians, but many were killed in attacks that hit residential areas as well as energy facilities, defense, ports, wheat and other facilities.

"Russian terror must be stopped. All those who help Russia avoid sanctions are criminals. Those who continue to support Russia all support crime," President Zelensky wrote on platform X.

"Terrorists will face fair and appropriate retaliation," he stressed.