Zelensky adviser resigns after linking Ukraine air defense to apartment strike
Mike Brest
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An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky resigned shortly after suggesting Ukraine’s air defense systems could be to blame for the massive strike on a Dnipro apartment that killed more than 40 people.
Oleksiy Arestovych resigned on Tuesday days after he said on YouTube that the residential building was likely hit by debris from a Russian missile after it was struck in the sky by Ukrainian air defenses. He later distanced himself from the remark, apologizing on Ukrainian television. Arestovych said in a letter announcing his resignation that he had made a “fundamental error.”
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“Wrote a resignation letter. I want to show an example of civilized behavior: a fundamental mistake, therefore, resign,” Arestovych noted on his Facebook page.
The comment quickly garnered backlash in Ukraine as Russian officials latched onto it and used it for their own benefit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “The Russian Armed Forces do not strike residential buildings or social infrastructure facilities. Attacks are made on military targets, either obvious or disguised.” He also claimed the strike had been the result of Ukrainian “anti-aircraft counter-missiles” intercepting the Russian missile.
44 people were killed in the strike over the weekend, including five children, while 79 were injured, including 16 children, and 39 people were rescued, according to the most recent release from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
“Since the attack, Ukraine has heard words of condolences and support from many leaders, public figures, journalists, and ordinary people from around the world. I thank everyone who did not remain indifferent! It is very important that normal people unite in response to terror,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Sunday night address. “But … I want to say to all those in Russia — and from Russia — who even now could not utter even a few words of condemnation of this terror. … Even though they see and know everything perfectly well.”
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Britain’s defense ministry said in their Tuesday update on the war that it’s “highly likely” that the attack was carried out by an AS-4 “Kitchen” anti-ship missile, which they noted is notoriously inaccurate in urban settings.
Communal services removed more than 8,000 tons of construction debris and 41 damaged cars that were near the strike.