Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes that Russian strikes have claimed the lives of 13,000 civilians, including more than 600 children.
“Our people are paying the highest price possible,” Zelenskyy told 60 Minutes. “There is no higher price. We have given all our money – all we have in terms of finances. But most important, we gave [the lives of] our people.”
The interview took place in Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro Oblast, one week after a Russian missile attack killed 19 people, including nine children near a playground.
The Office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General reported that as of 14 April, at least 618 children have been killed and more than 1,884 injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
This number probably doesn’t include the killed and injured from the Russian attack on Sumy on 13 April, which killed 34 people, including 2 children, injured 120 people, including 15 children.
According to the report, Russian forces have carried out approximately 1,700 attacks on schools and 780 strikes on medical facilities across Ukraine. The highest number of child casualties has been recorded in Donetsk Oblast with 638 affected children, followed by Kharkiv Oblast with 480, and Kherson Oblast with 203. These oblasts are being under Russian attacks and shelling almost daily.
Following the deadliest attacks over the past months, Zelenskyy warned that the war could escalate further if Ukraine and its allies fail to resist Russian advances. “If we do not stand firm, he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) will advance further,” Zelenskyy said. “It is not just idle speculation; the threat is real.”
The Ukrainian president expressed concern that Putin’s ultimate ambition extends beyond Ukraine’s borders. “Putin’s ultimate goal is to revive the Russian empire and reclaim territories currently under NATO protection. Considering all of this, I believe it could escalate into a world war,” he said.
The report also mentions tensions in Ukraine’s relationship with the United States under President Trump’s administration, with Zelenskyy extending an invitation to the US president to visit Ukraine.
“Come, look, and then let’s move with a plan on how to finish the war. You will understand with whom you have a deal. You will understand what Putin did,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump described Russia’s deadly missile strike on Sumy as “terrible” and claimed he was told it was a “mistake.”
Read also:
- Germany signals willingness to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine
- “It was horrible,” Trump calls Sumy strike a Russian mistake
- Zelenskyy calls on Trump to come to Ukraine before making decisions on talks
