Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has hit again at Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims that his troops are solely bombing navy targets, branding the assertion "bulls**t."

Because the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine continues to see a rising variety of civilian casualties, officers working intently with Putin have claimed that their strikes have solely been in opposition to the navy.

Nevertheless, in a video shared on Twitter on Wednesday by journalist Chris Motive, of Australia's 7 Information Sydney, former boxing champ Klitschko did not mince his phrases as he walked by the Ukraine capital's devastated streets.

When Motive requested about Russia's claims of solely attacking navy targets, the erstwhile sportsman hit again: "Bulls**t! Sorry. The place is [the] navy goal?"

He then pointed to a broken constructing as he rhetorically requested the journalist: "Is that this constructing [a] navy goal?"

In sharing the video on his Twitter account, Motive stated: "Klitschko delivers knockout sound bites that get straight to the purpose."

The video has been considered 1.2 million occasions within the hours because it has been uploaded on the micro-blogging platform.

Russia has referred to as its ongoing invasion of Ukraine a "particular operation," including that its forces don't assault civilian targets.

Final week, Ukrainian authorities stated that a March 10 strike on Mariupol kids's and maternity hospital killed three folks, together with a toddler, and wounded 17.

A Russian official responded to the outrage over the strike by claiming on March 11 that the hospital had been used as a base for radical fighters.

Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov referred to as the condemnation "pathetic shrieks" from Russia's enemies, including that the hospital was attacked as a result of far-right radicals had taken it over, based on the Related Press. Lavrov supplied no proof to again up his declare.

Officers in Ukraine, the European Union and the U.Okay. referred to as the assault a battle crime. Regardless of the discharge of images displaying injured pregnant girls and youngsters, Russia maintained that civilians weren't harmed within the strike.

Mariupol, a port metropolis on the Sea of Azov, has sustained a number of days of assaults. Ought to it's captured, the town would create a land passage from Crimea, a Ukrainian area that Russia annexed in 2014.

Final week, a video was broadly shared displaying a Russian pilot showing to confess he had been ordered to bomb a civilian goal.

The pilot, who gave his identify as Maxim Krishtop, stated throughout a press convention streamed by Interfax Ukraine that he carried out his orders earlier than he was shot down and captured by Ukrainian forces on March 6.

Kristhtop, a lieutenant colonel and deputy commander of the forty seventh Aviation Regiment, stated: "Within the means of finishing the duty, I spotted that the goal was not enemy navy services, however residential buildings, peaceable folks. However I carried out the legal order."

Final month, Klitschko, who has held his mayoral place since 2014, was requested throughout a distant look on U.Okay. TV present Good Morning Britainwhether or not he himself supposed to affix within the battle in opposition to invading Russian troops.

"It is already a bloody battle," the sportsman-turned-politician stated in response. "I haven't got one other alternative, I've to do this. I will be combating."

Comply with our reside weblog for updates on the Russia-Ukraine battle.

Vitali Klitschko and Vladimir Putin
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, left, has referred to as claims by claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, that his troops will not be firing on civilian targets in Ukraine "bulls**t." Russia has referred to as its ongoing invasion of Ukraine a "particular operation," including that its forces don't assault civilian targets.GENYA SAVILOV/AFP through Getty Photographs;/ANDREY GORSHKOV/SPUTNIK/AFP through Getty Photographs