Kremlin dismisses claims that Russia targets civilians after strike in Hroza killed at least 52 people

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected that the Russian military targets civilians when he was asked about the attack on the Ukrainian village of Hroza that left at least 52 people dead. 

“We reiterate: the Russian military does not strike civilian targets,” Peskov told journalists during a press briefing Friday. “Strikes are carried out on military infrastructure, places where military personnel and representatives of the military leadership are gathered.”

The Kremlin’s comments mark Russia’s first official reaction to the Hroza attack in which a cafe and a shop were targeted with what Ukrainian officials say was a powerful Iskander ballistic missile.

Hroza has a population of about 300 people — the toll in such a small community means one of every six residents is dead, according to Ukrainian officials