Indian National Killed in Russian Attacks on Ukraine, Zelensky Says
Kyiv — An Indian national was among 12 people killed in a recent wave of Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday.
Zelensky said the attacks struck several regions over five days of intensified Russian bombardment. He did not identify the Indian victim or say where the person was killed.
“In Kyiv, a strike on a railway depot killed 7 people. The Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, and Dnipro regions also came under attack,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“Overall, 12 people were killed, among them an Indian citizen, and dozens more were injured in the attack. A significant number of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles were used in the attack,” he said.
The Indian Embassy in Kyiv said it was assisting the victim’s family and working with Ukrainian authorities and the person’s employer to repatriate the remains.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in an attack in Ukraine,” the embassy said. “The Embassy is in touch with the bereaved family and extends its deepest condolences.”
The embassy added that it was providing “all possible assistance” to help return the victim’s remains to India.
The death came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his call for an end to the war during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek.
“We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation of hostilities,” Modi told Putin.
“Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace,” he said.
Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately trying to maximize destruction and renewed his appeal for additional air defense support from Ukraine’s allies.
“The number of victims of Russian terror directly hinges on every new package of assistance,” he said.
Ukraine has repeatedly sought additional air defense systems, including Patriot batteries, to counter Russian missile and drone attacks. (Source: IANS)
