Russian Air Attack on Kyiv

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to speak of a grave act that took place last week in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. The Putin dictatorship continues its illegal war with a double crime--a double- tap strike attack.

A double tap is a merciless attack when a target is struck, but then struck again within minutes in an attempt to kill survivors and first responders. I repeat: A double tap is a war crime.

Sadly, dictator Vladimir Putin's criminality against a free nation is nothing new, and Ukraine has repeatedly seen double-tap strikes specifically targeting first responders over the past 4 years, with over 500 killed.

Yesterday, 3 days after that attack, Sergiy Smolyak, a 56-year-old responder, was laid to rest. This champion of healing and compassion served as a medic for 25 years and had relocated to Kyiv when Russia invaded his hometown in the southern Kherson region nearly 4 years ago.

A nurse who worked with Smolyak said, before his funeral, that he was very kind, always calm, and even-tempered. He saved so many people.

Mr. Speaker, we must do more to deter illegal Russian aggression, inspire more healers, or innocent Ukrainians will continue to be laid to rest in a nation that longs to be free.

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