Zelensky calls Russian strike on Vinnytsia work of a ‘terrorist state’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday condemned the Russian missile attack in the city of Vinnytsia as the actions of a “terrorist state.”

The Russian strike on Thursday in the city in central Ukraine killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100 others far from the front lines of the ongoing war. Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of purposefully targeting civilians with no militaristic intent.

“And if someone launched a missile attack on a medical center in Dallas or Dresden, God forbid, what would it be called? Wouldn’t it be called terrorism?” Zelensky said.

The attack comes as Russia has engaged in a series of small-scale offensives in the last few days as the country continues its effort to win additional territory. Ukrainian forces said Wednesday that Russia launched 10 missiles into the city of Mykolaiv, killing at least five people.

Rescue operations in Vinnytsia are ongoing as rescue teams with sniffer dogs continue to search for survivors. As of Friday, more than 73 people — including four children — remain hospitalized as a result of the strike, and 18 people are still missing.

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said Friday that Russian forces had carried out more than 17,000 attacks on civilian targets since Putin invaded the country on Feb. 24.