A missile struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv after Russia launched missile strikes across Ukraine. The blast killed two people when the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital, Ukraine’s largest pediatric facility, sustained severe damage. The attacks killed thirty-six people and injured 140, according to Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff. Lesia Lysytsia, a doctor at the hospital, described the missile strike as “like in a film,” with a “big light, then an awful sound.” She reported that the explosion destroyed 60-70% of the hospital, with fires breaking out in parts of the building.
Immediate Aftermath and Evacuation
Images from the scene showed young children, some with IV drips, sitting outside as officials evacuated the hospital. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, reported that the two victims were adults, one of whom was a doctor. He expressed concerns that the rubble might have trapped more people. Russia denied targeting the hospital, claiming fragments https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragment#:~:text=2008%20TV%20episode-,Literature%20and%20writing,remnant%20of%20a%20handwritten%20book of a Ukrainian air defense missile caused the damage, while Ukraine discovered remnants of a Russian cruise missile.
Ohmatdyt Hospital, crucial for cancer treatment and organ transplants, started evacuating patients. Dr. Lysytsia highlighted the challenges, especially with intubated patients on ventilators who cannot be moved easily. The attack killed 20 people and injured over 50 others. Among the injured were six children, underscoring the assault’s indiscriminate nature. Medical facilities, already strained by the ongoing conflict, became overwhelmed by the sudden influx of casualties. Ukraine’s medics treated many of the injured on-site, while others were transported to hospitals for further care.
Global Reactions and Further Attacks
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wore a black ribbon at Wimbledon in respect for the victims. Mayor Klitschko accused Russia of committing “genocide” against Ukraine’s population, highlighting additional destruction in a maternity hospital in Kyiv’s Dniprovsky district, resulting in seven deaths. President Zelensky reported that over 40 missiles hit various cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk. He called for a stronger Western response to Russia’s continued aggression. The strikes in Dnipro killed one person and injured six, while three died in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, where Russian forces recently gained control of several villages.
International Condemnation and Calls for Support to Ukraine
During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow, Russia reiterated its denial of targeting civilian infrastructure, blaming the hospital’s damage on a Ukrainian missile. However, Ukraine’s Security Service shared photos of Russian Kh-101 cruise missile fragments from the site. Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, urged allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, emphasizing their current insufficiency. International responses included condemnation from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who called for accountability for Russia’s actions. UN chief António Guterres strongly condemned the strikes, particularly the attack on medical facilities. The UN’s human rights mission in Ukraine noted a rise in civilian casualties, with May being the deadliest month for civilian deaths in nearly a year.
