A GRIMACING Vladimir Putin appeared at a competition "promoting Russian family values" just hours after blitzing a children's hospital in Kyiv.
The heartless dictator, 71, met with participants of the nationwide contest while visiting the All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow.
The Russia International Exhibition Forum "Strong Russia" aims to showcase the achievements and innovations of Russian businesses, industries, and regions.
It includes competitions where businesses and innovators vie for awards based on their contributions to their respective fields.
"Strong Russia" likes to emphasise Russia's family values by having them integrated into the event's broader agenda of societal development and cultural heritage.
The forum typically hosts workshops and panels that delve into family welfare, education, and social policies supporting family structures.
During Monday's event, evil Putin met with competitors, including youngsters, mere hours after killing and injuring defenceless toddlers in Ukraine.
This morning, a Russian hypersonic missile struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv in a “genocidal” attack.
Disturbing video showed the rocket hurling through the sky, with at least 33 people killed across Ukraine during a devastating wave of Russian strikes.
Officials have confirmed at least 22 deaths so far in Kyiv.
One of the hospital victims was named as Svitlana Lukyanchik, 30, a paediatric kidney doctor.
Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 16 people were injured including, seven children.
More than 33 have died across the country and 150 have been injured, according to the latest official figures.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia hit five cities in a "genocidal" attack.
He demanded Moscow answer "for all its crimes" against people, children and humanity.
His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, accused Russia of "deliberately targeting" children.
Yermak raged: "They hit the children's hospital. There are children. It is a terror that the world must see and respond to. This is genocide.”
Mother Marina Ploskonos said her 4-year-old son was recovering from spinal surgery when the missiles struck.
Bursting into tears, she said: “My child is terrified. This shouldn't be happening, it's a children's hospital.”
Kids with cancer were forced to pause chemotherapy treatment as medics evacuated the hospital’s oncology ward.
Ukraine’s health minister said at least three sick children mid-way though open-heart surgeries when the missiles struck.
One doctor said he leapt on to his patient to protect them from flying glass and debris.
by Harry Cole in Odesa, Ukraine
PUTIN must be in no doubt “Britain under Labour” will still be “Ukraine’s firmest friend”, the new Defence Secretary has declared.
John Healey embraced hero President Volodymyr Zelensky in war torn Odessa yesterday as he vowed all additional military aid promised in April will be delivered within 100 days of Labour taking power “guaranteed”.
He insisted the new government is “totally committed” to hiking UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP but the “defence of Britain starts in Ukraine.”
Mr Healey hotfooted it to the Black Sea port straight from Sir Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet meeting as a clear signal to the Kremlin that far from backsliding, UK support would be “stepped up and sped up”.
He told The Sun: “At every stage since Putin launched his full scale invasion, we have backed all the military aid… the extra funding had our full backing in opposition, we will now deliver it in government.”
And in a direct message to the Russian tyrant, he warned: “Putin is looking for Western nations to lose patience to lose resolve, he must know that Britain under Labour will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to win.
He warned: “The Ukrainians have made a general complaint, that too often what has been promised by the West they have still not got.
“They can’t say that about the UK and I am determined that they won’t.”
