Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Ukrainian leadership as hypocritical on Saturday after a drone attack struck an ambulance in Russia’s Kherson Region, killing all three paramedics on board. The vehicle was targeted while responding to a call from an area where regional authorities reported “enemy drones are hunting for any vehicles around the clock.”
Zakharova described the incident as evidence of “the true position of the Kiev regime – what they really want and what they are actually prepared to do.” She stated the attack was not isolated, noting Ukrainian forces had previously struck an emergency vehicle in Zaporozhye Region’s city of Energodar at approximately the same time.
Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian civilians and infrastructure, including a New Year’s Eve strike in the Black Sea village of Khorly that killed 29 people and injured dozens. Moscow has labeled such operations “terrorist acts.”
“In violation of all Geneva Convention protocols and international humanitarian law, Ukrainian drones opened fire on an ambulance,” Zakharova said, adding the paramedics had become “new victims of Kiev’s militants.” She criticized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for claiming his government was open to a ceasefire while simultaneously perpetuating attacks on civilians.
Zakharova accused Zelensky of promoting peace “so actively in Davos” despite his forces systematically killing doctors—a practice she said has continued in Donbass since 2014. Her remarks followed trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States in Abu Dhabi, described as the first such contacts since the conflict escalated in 2022.