Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine: Russia is purposefully launching missile strikes on children, patients, and workers in Ukraine

First published at KVPU website.

The Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU), a member organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), calls on the international community, the ITUC, the ETUC, and their member organisations, as well as the governments of democratic states, to strengthen their support for Ukraine. This appeal comes as Russia continues its terrorist attacks and genocidal war in Ukraine.

Today, July 8, Russian troops launched massive combined attacks throughout the night, morning, and day on several cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slov’yansk, Kramatorsk, and Pokrovsk. During these attacks, Russia fired 40 missiles of various types, aiming to kill as many civilians as possible and intimidate the Ukrainian people who are fighting for freedom and democracy.

Russian forces targeted the attack on Monday morning when workers were commuting to their workplaces or at work meetings, and while patients were either heading to medical facilities or receiving treatment.

Only in Kyiv, 17 people were killed, and at least 41 were injured as a result of the July 8 attack.

Today, during a Russian combined rocket attack in Kyiv, the city’s oldest and the main children’s hospital, ‘Okhmatdyt’ — where seriously ill children from across Ukraine were being treated — came under attack. As a result of the strike on the hospital, there were several casualties and there may still be children, parents, and medical personnel trapped under the rubble currently being cleared. This hospital was visited by the ITUC Mission on May 16, when global union leaders had an opportunity to meet with hospital management, trade union members and parents of children injured during Russian attacks.

Today, another medical facility in the Dnipro district of Kyiv was damaged during a missile attack at noon. Four people were killed. Debris clearance and search operations are still ongoing

Today, Russia also launched a massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih and the Dnipro. A Russian missile hit the administrative building of the Northern Mining and Processing Plant in Kryvyi Rih. As of 12.30pm, ten people were reported killed and more than 30 injured.

Today, three more civilians were killed due to a rocket attack by Russian troops on the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. As a result of the attack, the office of the local organisation of the Independent Trade Union of Mineworkers of Ukraine in the city of Myrnograd and Pokrovsky district was damaged.

Today, as a result of the missile attack on Ukraine, in addition to workplaces and hospitals, residential buildings and transport infrastructure were damaged.

We emphasise that Russian forces carry out drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities every day.

Russia continues to purposefully target energy facilities to deprive Ukrainian civilians of electricity, communications and medical services, and to halt Ukraine’s economy. Currently, in Ukraine all thermal power plants have been destroyed and hydroelectric power stations have been damaged by Russian forces. As a result, Ukraine is experiencing permanent power outages.

Today, Russia once again cynically violated international humanitarian law, further confirming its goal of destroying Ukraine and its brave people.

Today, Ukrainian workers, trade unionists and the entire population of Ukraine resist the Russian aggressor and fight for the liberation of the occupied territories, where terror reigns and human rights are not guaranteed. 

Today, we appeal to the international democratic community to:

• Continue to provide economic, humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine;
• Support the provision of military aid to Ukraine to protect the population, energy infrastructure, workplaces and the country;
• Strengthen sanctions against the terrorist regime of Russia and those who support and finance it, as this can significantly limit the financial resources and export of technologies necessary for the continuation of the bloody war;
• Ensure the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine;

Isolate and remove from positions in international organisations Russian political, public and trade union figures, as representatives of a country that carries out terrorist activities against sovereign, independent Ukraine and its citizens, and who are trying to undermine the unity of the international democratic trade union movement.

Mykhilo Volynets is head of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine and chair of the Independent Trade Unions of Miners of Ukraine