On Tuesday, Ukraine’s first lady wrote in an impassioned and scathing “open letter to the media” that Russia was responsible for the “mass murder of Ukrainian civilians” and warned Europe that it could be next.
“What happened just over a week ago was unbelievable. Our country was peaceful; our cities, towns and villages were full of life,” wrote Elena Zelenskaya, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Now it has been destroyed,” Zelenskaya wrote in her open letter titled “I testify…”.
But she added that the Ukrainian people will never give up.
“When Russia says it ‘does not wage war against civilians’, I first name those children who were killed,” she said, listing the names of the youngest tragic victims of the war who died in the street as a result of shelling, including some wounded. in the head by falling debris from a Russian bombardment.
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska wrote an open letter accusing Russia of “mass killings of civilians in Ukraine.” Stefan Lisovsky/President of Ukraine
Echoing her husband, the first lady also called on Western countries to introduce a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine. Stefan Lisovsky/President of Ukraine
Zelenskaya echoed her husband’s call for a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine. Photo: Presidency of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Ukrainian children in an orphanage after the Russian invasion on February 24. President of Ukraine
“Despite assurances from pro-Kremlin propaganda outlets calling this a ‘special operation’, this is actually a massacre of civilians in Ukraine,” the first lady wrote.
“Our women and children now live in bomb shelters and basements. You have probably all seen these footage from the Kiev and Kharkov metro stations, where people lie on the floor with children and pets, being under them. For some, this is just the consequences of the war; for Ukrainians, this is now a horrifying reality.
“In some cities, families cannot get out of bomb shelters for several days in a row due to indiscriminate and deliberate bombing and shelling of civilian infrastructure.
Bodies on the street in Irpin, Ukraine, after shelling by the Russian army on March 6, 2022. Diego Herrera/Contacto via ZUMA Press
Map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Babies born in an orphanage after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Stefan Lisovsky/President of Ukraine
“The first newborn wars saw the concrete ceiling of the basement, their first breath was the caustic air of the underground, and they were met by a community trapped and intimidated. At the moment, there are several dozen children who have never known peace in their lives,” the first lady wrote.
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Echoing her husband, she called on Western countries to establish a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine, which Putin warned was tantamount to declaring a world war.
“We need the powers that be to close our skies!” she said. “Close the sky, and we will deal with the war on earth ourselves.
“Ukraine is stopping forces that may aggressively enter your cities tomorrow under the pretext of rescuing civilians,” she foresaw.
“I appeal to you dear media: keep showing what is happening here and keep showing the truth. In the information war waged by the Russian Federation, every piece of evidence is crucial.”