Ukraine’s Zelensky accuses Russia of ‘terror’ as missiles rain down

KYIV, July 2, (AFP) - Missiles rained down on Ukraine killing many civilians and wounding dozens in built up areas as the weekend began, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to accuse Russia of state “terror”.

Strikes on a southern resort town left 21 dead and dozens wounded after missiles slammed into flats and a recreation centre in Sergiyvka.

Rockets struck residential properties in Solviansk in the heart of the embattled Donbas region, killing a woman in her garden and wounding her husband, a neighbour told AFP. The witness said the strike was thought to use cluster munitions which spread over a large area before exploding, striking buildings and people who were outdoors.

The attacks came after Moscow abandoned positions on a strategic island in a major setback to the Kremlin’s invasion.

“I emphasise: this is an act of deliberate, purposeful Russian terror -- and not some kind of mistake or an accidental missile strike,” Zelensky said.

The attacks follow global outrage earlier this week when a Russian strike destroyed a shopping centre in Kremenchuk, central Ukraine, killing at least 18 civilians. President Vladimir Putin has denied his forces were responsible for that attack.

Ukraine is a major agricultural exporter, but Russia’s invasion has damaged farmland and seen Ukraine’s ports seized or blockaded -- sparking concerns about food shortages.

Western powers have accused Putin of using the trapped harvest as a weapon to increase pressure on the international community.