Russia claimed the evacuation route attack was staged... Chilling phrase written on the missile

On the 8th (local time), immediately after the subway bombing in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, debris of a ballistic missile with the message "For the Children" written on its body was found at the site.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Missile debris bearing the message "For the Children" was found at the site of the bombing of Kramatorsk train station in eastern Ukraine.

On the 9th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported that the Russian side is believed to have included multiple messages on the missile.

So far, Russia has claimed that pro-Russian residents who speak Russian in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine have been persecuted by the Ukrainian government. WP's analysis suggests that the messages on the missile were written as a form of revenge for this persecution.

WP also noted that there is a possibility the act was intended to mock the practice of writing the word "children" in large letters in Russian on buildings where Ukrainian refugees have taken shelter, emphasizing the presence of children.

WP reported that there have been past cases where bombs or missiles were sent with messages of retribution. In 2017, the British Air Force launched a missile bearing the message "Love from Manchester" aimed at the Islamic extremist militant group Islamic State (IS). This was in response to a suicide bombing carried out by a man in his 20s from a Libyan immigrant family, who was radicalized by IS, at a concert in Manchester, resulting in 22 deaths and 59 injuries.

There was a similar case during World War II. A photo taken in 1945 shows African American soldiers holding shells labeled "Easter egg gift for Hitler," smiling broadly.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's state railway company announced on the 8th that two Russian missiles struck the Kramatorsk train station. According to AFP, at least 39 people were killed and over 300 injured as of that day. Among the dead were four children.

Ukraine condemned the attack as a clear assault on civilians by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized, "There were no Ukrainian troops around the train station at the time of the attack," adding, "There is no limit to the 'evil' they commit. If they are not punished, they will not stop."

Condemnations also came from the Western bloc. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who was visiting Kyiv, tweeted, "Another attempt to block the escape routes of civilians trying to avoid this unjust war and to cause human suffering." The United States also criticized Russia, calling it a "horrific and shocking act."

On the other hand, Russia denied the attack, calling it a "false flag" by the Ukrainian government. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated, "The Ukrainian authorities tried to prevent the mass evacuation of residents and used them as 'human shields' to defend their military bases." They also claimed that the "Tochka-U tactical missile" found near the station is only used by the Ukrainian military.