Deadly Russian Assault Devastates Kyiv Children’s Hospital

A Russian missile strike largely destroyed a children’s hospital in Kyiv on Monday, forcing terrified patients and their families to flee. The assault was part of a larger wave of strikes across several Ukrainian cities that left at least 36 people dead and 137 injured.

The Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine’s largest children’s medical centre, was hit during a series of daylight bombardments that struck Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk. The Ukrainian emergency services reported that 22 people were killed in Kyiv alone, with two fatalities and at least 16 injuries at the children’s hospital.

The hospital is a critical facility, performing around 7,000 surgeries annually, including treatments for cancer and hematological diseases. Videos from the scene showed volunteers and security services sifting through the rubble as smoke billowed from the damaged buildings. Staff members recounted the chaos as they attempted to evacuate children and continue essential medical procedures amidst the devastation.

Ukraine’s health minister, Viktor Liashko, stated that over 600 patients were evacuated, with more than 100 transferred to other healthcare facilities. Intensive care units, oncology departments, and surgery units were among the damaged areas.

“The key task here is to get people out of the rubble and provide assistance to those we can reach,” Liashko said in a Telegram post.

Eyewitness Accounts

Eyewitnesses described the harrowing moments during the attack. Natalia Sardudinova, a senior nurse, detailed the fear and confusion: “It was loud, the windows were crunching. As soon as the alarm sounded, the children were taken out into the corridor.” She mentioned that two children were in the operating theatres at the time and were relocated to a basement shelter after their procedures.

Another senior nurse, Iryna Filimonova, recounted an operation on a 2-year-old that had to be completed by flashlight after the power went out. “Everything was sewn up quickly, and the baby was brought down to the shelter,” she said.

A UN team visiting the site found children receiving treatment for cancer in makeshift hospital beds set up in parks and streets, highlighting the dire situation.

International Response and Consequences

The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting to discuss the attack on the children’s hospital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for an emergency assembly and vowed retaliation. He emphasised the critical role of international alliances in pressuring Russia to stop the war, asserting that effective mediation requires the economic and military strength that only major global powers possess.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general has already sent evidence of the attacks to the International Criminal Court, as European nations condemned the shelling.

France called for the attack to be added to the list of war crimes, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described it as “the most depraved of actions.”

Continued Strikes and Air Defences

Despite the devastation, Ukrainian forces managed to intercept 30 out of 38 missiles launched by Russia during the assault. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has called for more air defense systems to protect the country.

President Zelensky has consistently urged the West to provide such support, praising recent US efforts to prioritise the delivery of air defense systems.

As air raid sirens continued to ring out across Kyiv, volunteers rushed to deliver essential supplies to the affected hospitals. The international community remains watchful, as further developments unfold in the ongoing conflict.

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