Russia Has Bombed Ukraine’s Largest Children’s Hospital And Several Cities, Killing At Least 41 People
At least four people were killed and 16 were wounded at Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine's largest children's hospital known for treating cancer, where many children had been residing for months.
In one of its deadliest attacks in almost four months, Russia bombed Kyiv's main children's hospital and other cities in Ukraine, killing at least 41 people, including children, and injuring nearly 170.
On Monday, July 8, Russia launched a missile attack on five Ukrainian cities, including Kryvyi Rih, Pokrovsk and Dnipro.
The attack, which took place during the morning rush hour, involved about 40 missiles.
More than 100 buildings were damaged, including the children's hospital, a maternity center in Kyiv, children's nurseries, a business center and residential homes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
At least four people were killed and 16 were wounded at Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine's largest children's hospital known for treating cancer, where many children had been residing for months.
During the attack, debris reportedly fell into the chest of one of the patients receiving heart surgery mid-operation, AP reported.
Reuters obtained a video of a missile descending on the children's hospital, followed by a massive explosion.
Videos from the site of the attack showed volunteers working with police and security to sift through rubble as thick plumes of smoke filled the air, and parents with babies walked outdoors, shocked and wailing.
“It was scary. I couldn’t breathe, I was trying to cover [my baby]. I was trying to cover him with this cloth so that he could breathe,” 33-year-old Svitlana Kravchenko told Reuters.
More than 600 patients were evacuated, with more than 100 transferred to other healthcare facilities, state news agency Ukrinform reported, citing the Deputy Health Minister.
The hospital's two floors were demolished, causing extensive damage to the intensive care units, oncology departments, and surgery units.Shortly afterward, reports surfaced that another maternity facility in Kyiv had been partially damaged by falling debris, resulting in four people being killed and three injuried.
In Kyiv alone, 27 people, including three children, were killed, and 82 people sustained injuries in the missile barrage and a subsequent strike two hours later, according to Kyiv's military authorities.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, officials confirmed that 11 people were killed and 68 injured.
Additionally, in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, three people were killed when missiles struck an industrial facility, according to the city's governor.
"Russia cannot claim ignorance of where its missiles are flying and must be held fully accountable for all its crimes. It is very important that the world does not remain silent about this now, and that everyone sees what Russia is and what it is doing” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The attack occurred just a day before US President Joe Biden was set to hold a key NATO Summit in Washington, where new announcements regarding the alliance's financial, diplomatic, and military backing of Kyiv were expected.
Condemning the attack on Ukraine and the children’s hospital in Kyiv, Biden said it was “a horrific reminder of Russia's brutality.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces conducted airstrikes targeting “military industrial facilities of Ukraine and air bases of the Ukrainian armed forces.”
Despite reports of thousands of civilians being killed since Moscow's invasion began in February 2022, Russia continues to deny targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Russia’s bombardment has also damaged over 1,600 medical facilities, with 214 completely destroyed, according to Ukrainian Health Ministry data released in June.
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