Russia says shopping center targeted in Kyiv housed rockets

The Ukrainian shopping center destroyed Sunday by Russian shelling was intentionally targeted because it was storing rockets, a Russian official said Monday.

The Russians, who hit the Kyiv shopping center with long-range weapons, killing at least eight people, identified the location as both a rocket storage facility and a reloading station for the Ukrainians, according to Reuters.

“High-precision long-range weapons on the night of March 21 destroyed a battery of Ukrainian multiple rocket launchers and a store of ammunition in a non-functioning shopping center,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters.

“The areas near the shopping centre were used as a large base for storing rocket munitions and for reloading multiple rocket launchers,” Konashenkov added.

He also shared a video with reporters, claiming that it was evidence of the Ukrainian military using the center for weapons storage.

The spokesman placed blame on Ukraine for the civilian deaths.

“We would like to again remind Western media: We have given complete evidence showing that the Kyiv nationalistic regime has used civilian objects in residential areas of Kyiv and in other cities as artillery and rocket system firing positions,” Konashenkov said.

Konashenkov also addressed Ukrainian reports that Russia is down on personnel and equipment, calling them “propaganda lies.”