Dutch Foreign Minister in Kyiv: Russia’s mass attack on Nov. 15 shows ‘Putin’s willingness to resort to criminal methods’

Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra told CNN that it is important to focus on “what Russia does, not what it says.” Hoekstra was visiting Kyiv on Nov. 15 and had to take shelter during Russia's mass missile strike.

The attack has again demonstrated “Putin’s willingness to resort to criminal methods,” according to Hoekstra, and the only answer to it is “to continue – continue to support Ukraine, continue to deliver weapons, continue to work on justice, continue to work on the provision of humanitarian aid.”

The Dutch minister arrived in the Ukrainian capital on the morning of Nov. 15 for a meeting with Ukrainian officials and witnessed the Russian strike that afternoon. He called it “an enormous motivator to stay standing shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine, CNN reported.

Russian troops launched 100 missiles at Ukrainian cities on Nov. 15, targeting energy infrastructure. Explosions were reported in at least 11 out of 24 Ukrainian oblasts.

State-owned grid operator Ukrenergo has introduced emergency electricity outages in all regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, to stabilize the power system’s operation.