Zelenskyy lambasts Russian strikes on 'newly-renovated House of Culture': 'Absolute evil'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Friday, has called the Russian airstrikes the epitome of "absolute evil, absolute stupidity" after the destruction of a cultural centre that left at least seven people injured. As the battle for Kyiv’s sovereignty continued for the 87th day, Putin’s troops shelled the “newly-renovated House of Culture,” in the city of Lazova, Kharkiv region causing a massive cloud of dust and debris. The strike left at least seven people injured including an 11-year-old child.  

“The occupiers identified culture, education and humanity as their enemies. They do not spare missiles or bombs for them. What is in the minds of people who choose such targets? Absolute evil, absolute stupidity," he said underneath the video of the strike.

Later at night, the 44-year-old leader said that Russia should be made to pay for every home, school, hospital and business it destroys. He called on Ukraine’s partners to seize Russian funds and property under their jurisdiction and use them to create a fund to compensate those who suffered. Russia “would feel the true weight of every missile, every bomb, every shell that it has fired at us,” he said in his nightly video address.

It was not even three years after Zelenskyy was elected as Ukrainian President when his Russian counterpart launched a full-fledged military operation on his country. However, the former comedian with no prior political experience decided to not surrender and plunged into where the war was deepest. Since then, he has been galvanising support for his country, giving speeches and making virtual appearances on almost every platform of the world. 

'Complete liberation'

Meanwhile, as the battle for Kyiv’s sovereignty intensified, Russian troops claimed to have captured the ancient port city of Mariupol. On Friday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin the “complete liberation” of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol — the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance — and the city as a whole, Associated Press reported citing spokesman Igor Konashenkov. Notably, Ukraine has stayed silent on the matter. Earlier yesterday, TIME magazine named the embattled president of Ukraine as the winner of the 2022 TIME 100 reader poll.