Russia’s Foreign Ministry has called for restraint from India and Pakistan after the nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged heavy fire in their worst confrontation since 2019, when they came close to the brink of war.
India fired missiles at Pakistan early Wednesday, calling it retaliation for last month’s attack in which gunmen killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan said the strikes amounted to an act of war and launched its own retaliatory attack.
The Indian government said the military struck nine Pakistani “terrorist infrastructure” sites. Pakistan refuted the claim, saying none of the targets were militant camps.
At least 38 people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the country’s Punjab province, according to Islamabad. India said 12 of its citizens died amid a heavy exchange of fire.
“We are deeply concerned about an intensified military confrontation between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack near Pahalgam,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We call on the parties to exercise restraint to prevent further deterioration of the situation,” the ministry said, adding that tensions should be resolved “through peaceful, diplomatic means.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to express condolences over the deaths of Indian civilians in last month’s attack in India-controlled Kashmir.
“Both leaders emphasized the need to uncompromisingly fight terrorism in all its forms,” the Kremlin said in its readout of the call.
The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the outbreak of hostilities early Wednesday.
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