Bidny: Shostka sports school strike is deliberate terrorist attack on children
Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matviy Bidny called the attack by Russian occupiers on the sports hall of the Barsa comprehensive children's and youth sports school in Shostka a "deliberate terrorist attack on a facility where children were" against the background of how "some international sports organizations allow Russian juniors to compete."
"Today, December 12, the enemy attacked civilian infrastructure in Shostka. The sports hall of the Barsa complex youth sports school in Shostka was hit – at that moment, acrobatic jumping training was taking place there. This was a deliberate terrorist attack on a facility where children were. Fortunately, the children and coaches were quickly evacuated," the minister said on his Facebook page on Friday.
According to him, there are no injuries. The consequences of the attack are being clarified.
As the minister noted, the attacks are taking place against the background of the fact that "some international sports organizations allow Russian juniors to compete."
"I am sure that covering up Russian murders with fictitious 'neutrality' is condoning Russian crimes," he said.
Bidny said that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the occupiers have damaged and destroyed more than 800 sports infrastructure facilities, including more than 20 Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympic training bases.
As reported, the Russian occupation forces struck a sports school in Shostka with two drones, where classes with children were taking place at the time, without any casualties, Head of Sumy Regional Military Administration Oleh Hryhorov said.
Earlier, it was reported that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions at the youth level. "This indicates that Russia is using pressure, bribery and blackmail to get what it needs," Bidny said.