Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticized a "weak" US response to a Russian air attack that hit a playground, killing at least 18 people, half of whom were children.
Moscow claimed the attack late on April 4 -- which Kyiv said involved the usage of a cluster munition -- was on a military gathering.
Verified photos and video from the scene, however, showed destruction at a playground in a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryviy Rih, Zelenskyy's home town.
US Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink said in a social media post that she was "horrified" by the strike that also injured at least 74 others, saying "this is why the war must end."
But Zelenskyy slammed the statement for failing to call out Russia by name, something which Brink -- who was appointed by former President Joe Biden -- regularly did in statements before President Donald Trump came to office.
In a social media post, he listed the names and ages -- which ranged from three to 17 -- of the nine children who died, while calling out Washington for Brink's statement.
"Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing – such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," he wrote.
"They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children."
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had targeted a meeting of military officials in Kryviy Rih and described it as a "high-precision strike" that targeted "a meeting of unit commanders and Western instructors" in a city restaurant. Kyiv, however, rejected the claim and warned against the spread of Russian "lies."
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Children Among The Victims Of Russian Strike On Kryviy Rih
The Russian strikes are one of the deadliest against civilians this year, Ukrainian officials said, and they've sparked fresh outcry inside Ukraine that Moscow is not committed to ending the war amid ongoing US-led negotiations with both countries to broker a cease-fire.
"We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a cease-fire. We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people," Zelenskyy.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of using cluster munitions on civilian targets before, but their use in the attack in Kryviy Rih adds new tensions to anger over the attacks amid efforts to strike a truce.
The weapons release smaller bomblets across a wide area to maximize an attack, with some of them detonating long after the attack, posing a continued danger to the local population.
SEE ALSO: Europe Calls Out Putin For Failing To Make Ukraine Peace DealThe Ukrainian president said the attack was further evidence that additional pressure on Moscow is required to broker a cease-fire for the war.
He added that discussions have occurred with Washington about procuring more air defense systems, saying that the recent strike highlights the urgent need for them.
"We are counting on our agreements with the president of the United States, who promised to help with the search for additional "patriots," he said, referring to the US missile-defense system.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Mourners Leave Flowers, Toys For Victims Of Russian Strike In Kryviy Rih
US President Donald Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority since taking office less than three months ago.
Earlier this week, he reiterated threats to sanction Russian oil if Russian President Vladimir Putin was an obstacle to achieving peace.
Meanwhile, at a NATO summit of foreign ministers in Brussels this week, several of Europe's top diplomats called out Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to agree to a US-led peace proposal to end the war. Ukraine has already signed on to the deal.
The Kremlin said on April 4 that Putin and Trump had no plans to talk after a visit to Washington by the Russian president's investment envoy as wider negotiations over a Ukraine truce appeared to have slowed.
More Attacks Across Ukraine
Eyewitness accounts, official statements, and public records and other open-source materials reviewed by Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, show that the restaurant the Russian military says it targeted because it was hosting a meeting of military units and foreign advisers was actually the site of a beauty industry forum and a birthday party.
People attending these events are among the injured from the strike, according to social media posts. No evidence of a military presence was found by Systema.
Ukraine and Russia also accused each other of fresh attacks on energy infrastructure, in breach of a US-brokered moratorium in March.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Russian Drone Strike Kills Five In Kharkiv
The Kryviy Rih attack came on the heels of an overnight drone attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv that killed at least five people, including an entire family, and injured more than 30 others.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on April 5 that Ukraine had increased its attacks on energy infrastructure, hitting targets 14 times in the last 24 hours.
In a statement published on Telegram, the ministry said Ukraine "multiplied the number of unilateral attacks using drones and artillery shells on the energy infrastructure of Russian regions."
Kyiv denied the charge saying that it only strikes military targets, with Ukraine's military calling it "fake" and "disinformation."
Kyiv has previously said it halted strikes on Russian energy facilities on March 18 after the two sides agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day moratorium on striking each other's energy infrastructure, as well as a partial truce for strikes on the Black Sea.
Both sides have since repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal.