Austrian Foreign Minister Calls for Increased Pressure on Russia Following Night Attack on Ukraine
Austria's Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, has strongly condemned the Russian shelling of Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, which took place last night. She emphasized that achieving genuine peace requires significantly increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, as Russian actions are responsible for the rising number of civilian casualties and the destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure. According to her, Russian forces have intensified their strikes since they publicly announced their readiness for peace negotiations and ceasefire. The minister highlighted that the nighttime attacks were particularly damaging, including severe damage to the Polish consulate in Kyiv, marking another act of aggression. She stressed that the only effective strategy is to escalate pressure on the Kremlin to stop the killing and destruction. Previously, Poland officially protested after the consulate was damaged during the Russian attack on July 4, which involved combined strikes on multiple targets, including diplomatic missions. Ukrainian reports indicate that Russian forces launched around 550 airstrikes, successfully neutralizing 478 targets. Despite this, there were strikes and debris falling in various districts of Kyiv and beyond. Clearly, the strike was aimed directly at Kyiv, with its consequences felt throughout Ukraine, underscoring the urgent need for increased international pressure on Russia to accelerate peace efforts and restore stability in the region.