OREANDA-NEWS. October 27, 2009. More than 100 people were killed and about 500 wounded when two vehicle bombs exploded near the Green Zone in downtown Baghdad on October 25, according to media reports. The buildings of the Ministries of Justice and Regional Development were seriously damaged.

Considerable material damage was also caused to the Baghdad office of the Russian television channel for an Arab-speaking audience ‘Rusiya al-Yaum.’ None of the journalists was hurt.

Moscow resolutely condemns these bloody crimes, the organizers and perpetrators of which must suffer deserved punishment. We extend our sincere condolences to the kin and kith of the dead and express sympathy for those injured.

We firmly adhere to our principled stand that there is no justification for such criminal acts killing and injuring civilians, nor can there be.

We declare our strong support to the efforts of the Government of Iraq to eradicate terrorism, to restore order and normal life in the country on the basis of achieving a national consensus and to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent cables of condolences to President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of the Republic of Iraq.