Russian attack on grocery store kills 51 civilians in eastern Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns 'deliberate act of terror' after strike hits memorial service

Ukrainian policemen inspect bodies after a Russian rocket attack that killed 51 people in the village of Hroza near Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP

Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that 51 civilians had been killed in a Russian attack on a village in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app that the strike had hit a cafe and food shop.

Pictures on social media showed dead bodies laid out close to the blast site in the village of Hroza, which is about 50km from the Russian border.

One of the victims was a six-year-old boy, the President's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said. At least six other people were injured, including a young girl.

“The rescuers continue to work on the site,” Kharkiv governor Oleh Synehubov said.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that residents of the small village of about 330 had been holding a Memorial service in the cafe that was hit.

“From every family, from every household, there were people present at this commemoration. This is a terrible tragedy,” Mr Klymenko told Ukrainian television.

He said the strike was clearly targeted and that Ukrainian security services had launched an investigation into the matter.

Preliminary findings showed that the venue had been hit by an Islander missile, he added.

Russia hit Ukraine with drone attacks in another major offensive earlier on Thursday, as Mr Zelenskyy travelled to Spain to rally support from western allies at a summit of about 50 European leaders.

Ukraine's Air Force said that 24 out of 29 Iranian-made drones that Russia launched at the southern Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions had been intercepted.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned the attack, a UN spokesperson said.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law and they must stop immediately,” Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he had talked about the attack with Mr Zelenskyy on Thursday.

“We discussed this horrific attack that has just happened. It just illustrates Russia's barbarity,” Mr Sunak told reporters after a meeting with Mr Zelenskyy the European Political Community meeting in Spain.

“President Putin can say all he likes. There is one person responsible for this illegal unprovoked war, and it is him … That's why the UK has been steadfast in supporting Ukraine and will continue to do so,” Mr Sunak added.

Following the attack, Mr Zelenskyy said on social media that “Russian terror” must be stopped.

“Now we are talking with European leaders, in particular, about strengthening our air defence, about strengthening our soldiers, about giving our country protection from terror,” he said.

The Ukrainian President had earlier warned European leaders that Russia could rebuild its military capabilities and attack other countries within five years if support were to dry up.

Mr Zelenskyy added he remained confident of continued US and European financial aid despite “political storms” in Washington and elsewhere.

Providing additional military equipment to Ukraine could mean that a “drone, tank or any other Russian weapon will not strike anyone else in Europe”, he said.

“We must not allow Putin to destabilise any other parts of the world and our partners in order to ruin Europe's power,” Mr Zelenskyy added.

He also claimed that Russia was “a threat to all of us” and that western allies must “work together” to push Moscow out of the territory of other countries.

Putin signals Russia may withdraw from nuclear test ban treat

Mr Putin on Thursday held out the possibility that Russia could resume nuclear testing for the first time in more than three decades and might withdraw its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.

Mr Putin, the ultimate decision maker in the world's biggest nuclear power, also said Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile – the Burevestnik – whose capabilities he has called unmatched.

The Kremlin chief said there was no need to change Russia's nuclear doctrine however, as any attack on Russia would provoke a split-second response with hundreds of nuclear missiles that no enemy could survive.

“Do we need to change this? And why? Everything can be changed but I just don't see the need for it,” Mr Putin said of the nuclear doctrine – the Kremlin policy setting out the circumstances when Russia might use its weapons.

The existence of the Russian state was not under threat, he added.

Vladimir Putin issues fresh nuclear threat amid war in Ukraine - video

“I think no person of sound mind and clear memory would think of using nuclear weapons against Russia,” Mr Putin told a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

“I hear calls to start testing nuclear weapons, to return to testing,” Mr Putin added, referring to suggestions from hardline political scientists and commentators who say such a move could send a powerful message to Moscow's enemies in the West.

Mr Putin accused the West of losing touch with reality over Ukraine war.

If its leaders had forgotten how to compromise then the world would have to see where such arrogance led, he warned.

Mr Putin said it was the West that had fomented the conflict in Ukraine, which he cast as part of a much larger struggle between Russia and an arrogant West.

“Our interlocutors in the West seem to have completely forgotten that there are such concepts as reasonable self-restraint, compromises, willingness to give in to something in order to achieve an acceptable result for everyone,” Mr Putin said.

“They are literally obsessed with only one thing – to push their interests at any cost. If that's their choice, let's see what comes of it.”

Mr Putin doubled down on his claims that Russia was not responsible for the conflict in Ukraine.

He said the US was seeking to impose its crumbling hegemony around the world and that the war had showed how far the West had lost touch with reality.

“We did not start the so-called war in Ukraine. On the contrary – we are trying to finish it,” Mr Putin said.

Mr Putin also added that Russia has always opposed Ukraine's potential accession to Nato as it poses a threat to Moscow's security, but it would have no objection to Kyiv joining the European Union.

Ukraine applied to join the EU soon after Russia's invasion on February 24 last year and has received formal candidate status from the EU, but the process of meeting its entry requirements is likely to take many years.