India's Modi tells Putin that 'heart bleeds' when children are killed
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying, a day after a lethal strike on a children's hospital in Kyiv, Reuters reports.
The pointed remark by the visiting Indian leader was an implicit rebuke to Putin, who moments earlier had welcomed him to the Kremlin with a warm statement on the importance of the strategic ties between the two countries.
Ukraine says it has recovered fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the children's hospital, which was hit on Monday during a wave of Russian attacks that killed at least 41 Ukrainians across the country.
Russia said, without providing evidence, that it was a Ukrainian anti-missile system that struck the hospital.
"Whether it is war, conflict or a terrorist attack, any person who believes in humanity, is pained when there is loss of lives," Modi said.
"But even in that, when innocent children are killed, the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying."
It was not the first time that Modi has appeared to criticise Russia over its actions in Ukraine. In September 2022, he told Putin that "today's era is not an era of war", and Putin said at that time he understood Modi's concerns.
India, however, has not condemned Russia's invasion and has taken the opportunity to buy record amounts of discounted Russian oil as sanctions have decimated Moscow's trade with the West.
