Recent Airstrike Destroys Children’s Hospital in Kyiv
A devastating Russian airstrike obliterated a bustling children’s hospital located in the heart of Kyiv on Monday, as part of a widespread aerial assault that resulted in the deaths of at least 20 individuals in various Ukrainian cities. The destructive barrage left around 50 people injured, as reported by Ihor Klymenko, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Officials fear that the casualty count may escalate further.
Within Kyiv, local authorities confirmed at least nine fatalities and 23 injuries. The extent of the casualties at the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital versus other areas in the city remains unclear, as fires erupted following the impact of missile debris in residential districts.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, disclosed that individuals were still trapped beneath the hospital’s rubble, and the precise number of casualties was yet to be determined.
Shortly after the strike, a poignant image emerged of a woman carrying a young child, covered in dust and blood, near the hospital’s entrance – the largest pediatric medical facility in Ukraine.
An urgent search and rescue operation ensued at the site, with Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, revealing over 100 rescuers were actively engaged. Civilians spontaneously formed a human chain outside the hospital, collaborating in the painstaking process of rubble removal.
Witnesses inside the hospital shared harrowing accounts of blood-stained corridors, collapsed ceilings, and wrecked operating rooms. Viktor Lyashko, the Ukrainian health minister, lamented the damage sustained by intensive care units, operating theaters, and the oncology department. The immediate priority, he stressed, was to relocate patients to alternate medical facilities.
President Zelensky condemned the assault on the hospital, emphasizing its crucial role in the treatment and recovery of thousands of children. He held Russia accountable for its actions, asserting that the country could not feign ignorance regarding the trajectory of its missiles.
The strike involved at least 40 long-range missiles targeting sites across Ukraine, with reports of damage emerging from Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk.
The attack unfolded on the eve of a NATO summit in Washington, where leaders were anticipated to announce plans to enhance Ukraine’s air-defense capabilities.
Note: Images showed patients outside the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in the aftermath of the attack, depicting the devastation wrought by the airstrike.
