MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. Russia resolutely condemns the shelling of Donetsk by Ukrainian nationalists using a Tochka-U missile, the Russia Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
"As is common knowledge, launches of this type are sanctioned by a country’s top leadership," it said. "We resolutely condemn the monstrous action of the Kiev regime."
"This again confirms that the nationalist government of Ukraine is determined to wage a war on the peaceful population of the DPR and LPR, which is what it has been doing for eight years during a punitive operation in Donbass," the statement said. "It seems that by using missile weapons against innocent people, Kiev is trying to avenge its defeats during the Russian special military operation to protect the DPR and LPR."
"All signs are evident that the Ukrainian government is agonizing," the ministry went on to say.
The ministry expressed confidence that this crime against humanity won’t go unpunished. "The Russian Foreign Ministry, on behalf of the people and leadership of our country, expresses deep condolences to the families and friends of the victims and the government of the Donetsk People's Republic, and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded," the ministry said.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a Tochka-U tactical missile struck a residential area of Donetsk at about 11:30 Moscow time on Monday after being fired from the territory controlled by the Kiev nationalist regime. As a result of the explosion of its cluster warhead, 20 civilians were killed. Another 28 people, including children, were heavily wounded.