Julie Zahra has called on the government to expel the Russian mission from Malta, after the tragic story of a four-year-old Ukrainian girl who was killed in a Russian strike went viral.

On Thursday, Liza Dmitrieva was killed on her way home from a speech therapy session just after 11am.

The last cheerful moments of the little girl before she was killed triggered an outcry on Friday at the relentless shelling which has killed thousands of innocent civilians. 

Less than two hours before, her mother Iryna had shared footage of Liza pushing her pink and black stroller along a street in Vinnytsia, a city that has remained largely untouched by the war.

The PN MP - who has a four-year-old girl of her own - joined the chorus of those decrying the Russian invasion, calling on the authorities to take action. 

"This is sickening. People continue to die… for nothing. Now it’s the turn of a four-year-old child. The same age as my daughter," she said.

Zahra added: "This is the result of what Robert Abela deems as a conflict. This is a war. Malta has to react. As a sign of political commitment, it’s time to take diplomatic action against the Russian mission in Malta and expel them without any further delay.

"We are all obliged to take all the necessary measures to stop the mad despot called Putin once and for all."

On May 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Malta's parliament, urging the island to “stop the privileges of Russian people, including golden passports and dual citizenship".

“Please do not allow your island to be abused. Please do your checks, see which Russians are using Malta to hide”, Zelensky had urged legislators.

Zelensky had also hit back at introductory remarks by Speaker Anġlu Farrugia, who, in his opening remarks referred to the war as a “conflict”. 

“We do not have a conflict, we have a war going on," Zelensky had said.