TOKYO: The Japanese government on Tuesday strongly condemned Russia’s missile strikes across Ukraine the previous day, which reportedly killed 14 people and wounded nearly 100.

“We take (the missile strikes) extremely serious,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference.

“We strongly condemn (the strikes) as they are absolutely unjustifiable.”

The top government spokesman said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is slated to attend an emergency online Group of Seven meeting on the matter later on Tuesday.

“We aim to confirm the G-7’s unity and send a powerful message to the international community,” Matsuno noted.

At a separate press conference, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said there has been no report that Japanese citizens in Ukraine were harmed by the latest Russian strikes.

He called on them to take shelter immediately while securing safety.

“Attacks at civilians are against international law and cannot be justified at all,” Hayashi stressed.

Japan reopened its embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv only on Wednesday.

Hayashi said the government has confirmed that all of the embassy’s staff are all right.

The embassy “will continue operations while cooperating with the Ukrainian government and other G-7 countries and taking safety measures as much as possible,” the minister said.

JIJI Press