Global Courant
Bogota Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday that his government will send a diplomatic note of protest to Russia after a Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk left 11 dead and injured three Colombians, injuring at least 56 others.
Sergio Jaramillo, the Colombian government’s chief peace negotiator, writer Hector Abad Faciolince, and journalist Catalina Gómez Ángel were in Ukraine for a book fair in Kiev and were inside a restaurant in Kramatorsk when the missile fell on Tuesday.
“Russia attacked three defenseless Colombian civilians. Thus, it violates the protocols of war. Petro said on Twitter that the State Department should issue a diplomatic note of protest. We look forward to the safe return of Sergio, Hector and Catalina.”
They were the most direct statements made by President Petro’s government, which so far has not addressed Russia’s actions.
The three Colombians were in the company of Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who was “in critical condition with a skull injury,” according to a statement from Jaramillo and Faciolince. Jaramillo, Faciolince and Gomez, who were slightly injured, were being treated at a local hospital.
The missile exploded in Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region, in a busy area full of apartments, shops and restaurants. 11 people have died in the attack so far, including 14-year-old twins Yuliya and Anna Aksenchenko. A 17-year-old girl also died and a baby suffered head injuries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack in his speech at night.
“Today, Russian terrorists brutally bombarded Kramatorsk (S-300) with their missiles,” he said. My condolences to the family and relatives of those who lost their lives.
Ukraine’s intelligence agency said it had arrested a resident who allegedly coordinated the attack by sending video footage of the restaurant to the Russian military.
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