British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday in the wake of the missile attack on a train station in Kramatorsk that killed dozens of civilians.
In a surprise visit, Johnson met with Zelensky in which he pledged to increase military and financial support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. The assistance includes 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems, as per NBC News.
Global leaders have vehemently criticized the missile attack on a train station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, which killed at least 52 people, with the EU imposing further penalties on Russian persons.
As thousands of civilians seek to evacuate the region, Russian authorities concentrate their efforts on Ukraine's eastern region. Russian air raids over the country's south and east are expected to intensify in the coming days, despite robust Ukrainian defense.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday has pledged to give Ukraine a faster start to process its membership in the European Union, which will take just "a matter of weeks." Zelensky will ponder on the offer and will give his response after a week.
Thousands of Civilians Leave Ukraine's East Amid Threat of Intensified Attacks
A day after the deadly missile attack, evacuation efforts continue as thousands of civilians want to flee amid risks of intensified Russian attacks in the east.
On Friday, the missile strike at a train station killed at least 52 individuals and injured more than 100.
Ukraine's government officials urged civilians to leave the area, according to a report from AP News. However, due to reported attacks of the Russian military on trains, distressed civilians resort to other transportation means to evacuate, with the fear of the same unforgiving attacks by the Russian military that killed hundreds and caused a scarcity of basic needs.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced that there are ten evacuation corridors planned. According to Ukraine's state train company, residents of Kramatorsk and other parts of the Donbas could utilize other railway stations to get away from the impending danger.
Russia Insists Ukraine Launched the Missile Attack
Zelensky cited the recent missile strike on the train station in Kramatorsk as proof of war crimes committed by Vladimir Putin's military forces and urged the West to bolster its assistance to increase Ukraine's defense capabilities.
The Hill reported that United States officials said Russian forces executed the strike utilizing short-range missiles, which Moscow denies.
Russia said that it was Ukraine's military that attacked the station. To reinforce the claim, a Russian Defense Ministry spokeswoman highlighted the missile's course and Ukrainian army locations.
But Western experts and Ukrainian officials insist that Russia is behind the attack on the station due to the statement in Russian painted on the missile's remains, "For the children." Although the actual meaning of the language remained unclear, it appeared that the missile attack intended to avenge the loss or oppression of children.
Ukrainian officials noted that they anticipate discovering more mass executions as they head to Mariupol, a southern port city in the Donbas that has been subjected to a month-long blockade and severe warfare.