France 24 footage refutes Russia’s claim of military presence at restaurant hit in April 4 strike

The television channel France 24 has published surveillance footage from a restaurant in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih that was struck by the Russian military on April 4. According to the channel, the video shows no sign of any military personnel either inside the premises or in the immediate vicinity at the time of the attack.

The Russian Ministry of Defense previously claimed the “high-precision” strike targeted “a meeting site for unit commanders and Western instructors at a restaurant.” However, the footage released by France24 does not support that claim.

Additional surveillance video was also published by the television channel Current Time, which likewise emphasized that no military personnel were visible in or around the restaurant in the moments leading up to the strike.

The investigative outlet Sistema had earlier reported that, on the day of the attack, the restaurant was hosting a forum for beauty industry professionals as well as a birthday celebration.

20 civilians, including nine children, were killed as a result of the Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih on April 4. Images of the aftermath of the attack are pictured above.