Zelenski raises death toll to 43 in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia school during Madrid summit Madrid – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski announced on Thursday that the death toll from a Russian strike on an underground school in Zaporizhzhia has risen to 43, with 53 people still missing. The statement was made during a meeting with leaders of Ibero‑American states at the plenary hall of the 30th Ibero‑American Summit in Madrid. Zelenski said the school was being used to distribute humanitarian aid when it was hit. “All were inside a school where people were going to receive humanitarian help,” he told the assembled heads of state, government and foreign affairs. “The Russians knew exactly what they were attacking, so please do not remain silent when crimes like these occur,” he added. He urged the Ibero‑American leaders to raise their voices against what he described as “mass killings” by Russia. “Every day Russia is killing Ukrainians with bombs, missiles and drones. Dozens of people, every week,” he said. “Please speak up when we talk about murders, mass murders of our population.” Zelenski thanked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for Spain’s support during the war, which began in February 2022. He also met with European Council President António Costa and European Commission Vice‑President Teresa Ribera, stressing that the conflict is a global problem. “If Putin manages to take part of our territory, violate our sovereignty and make it appear legal and accepted by the world, it would break the system we had,” he warned. After the summit, Zelenski is scheduled to meet King Felipe VI at the Palace of Zarzuela and later to meet Sánchez again at the Spanish Government’s presidential headquarters.
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario