Zelensky, Rutte visit sites of buildings destroyed by Russian shelling

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte visited the sites of buildings damaged or destroyed by Russian shelling in Kharkiv and honored the memory of children killed by the Russian aggression.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Ukrainian president’s press service.

In particular, they visited a multi-storey residential building at 9b Akademika Proskury Street, which was destroyed by a massive Russian shelling on January 23, 2024. Five people were killed and 14 others were injured as a result of an enemy missile strike. 23 residents of the building were rescued from under the rubble. The first, second, and third entrances were damaged by the missile attack, the gas supply was cut off, and the central heating and cold water supply were partially disconnected.

According to Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Syniehubov, a total of 10 people were killed and about 100 residential buildings were damaged as a result of the January 23 shelling of Kharkiv. 6,000 residents were left homeless. They have been provided with temporary housing in dormitories and other accommodations.

The Head of State and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands also saw the multi-storey buildings on Myronosytska Street in the city center that were damaged by a Russian missile strike in March 2022. The strike damaged the supporting and enclosing structures of the buildings.

Volodymyr Zelensky and Mark Rutte visited the site of the building of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration on Sumska Street, which was heavily damaged by Russian shelling on March 1, 2022. The six-storey RSA building, built in 1954, was recognized as a monument of urban planning and architecture of local importance and included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine. As a result of a Russian missile hitting the building, 80% of the roof, supporting structures, including the outer and inner walls of the building, and floor slabs were damaged. Restoration work began in December 2022.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Kharkiv, more than 20,000 objects have been destroyed, including 50% of the city's schools. There are 520,000 internally displaced persons living in the Kharkiv region.

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands also honored the memory of children killed by Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, 87 children have been killed as a result of hostilities in the Kharkiv region, including 21 young Ukrainians in Kharkiv.

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands also visited classrooms specially equipped for Kharkiv pupils at the Universytet metro station.

As Ukrinform reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte signed a bilateral security agreement in Kharkiv. The document provides for two billion euros in military aid from the Netherlands this year, as well as further defense assistance over the next ten years.

Photo: President’s Office