By Micheal Chukwuebuka, Reporting
NARENDRA Modi, Indian Prime Minister, has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying, a day after a lethal strike on Kyiv’s main hospital for children.
Russian president, who moments earlier had welcomed Modi to the Kremlin with a warm statement on the importance of the strategic ties between the two countries, was rebuked for his deadly airstrike on the children’s hospital.
Ukraine says it has recovered fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the children’s hospital, which was hit on Monday, during a wave of Russian attacks that killed at least 41 Ukrainians across the country.
A United Nations rights mission also said on Tuesday that it was likely Kyiv’s main children’s hospital took a direct hit from a Russian missile.
“Analysis of the video footage and an assessment made at the incident site indicates a high likelihood that the children’s hospital suffered a direct hit rather than receiving damage due to an intercepted weapon system,” said the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Russia said, without providing evidence, that it was a Ukrainian anti-missile system that struck the hospital.
“Whether it is war, conflict or a terrorist attack, any person who believes in humanity, is pained when there is loss of lives.
“But even in that, when innocent children are killed, the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying,” Mr Modi said.
According to ABC News, Australia, it was not the first time that Modi has appeared to criticise Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
In September 2022, he told Mr Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war”.
Mr Putin said at that time he understood the concerns.
India, however, has not condemned Russia’s invasion and has taken the opportunity to buy record amounts of discounted Russian oil as sanctions have decimated Moscow’s trade with the West.
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