Russian Missile Strikes Devastate Kyiv Children's Hospital, Killing Dozens Across Ukraine

A children's hospital in Kyiv has been hit in a devastating wave of missile strikes launched by Russia across Ukraine, killing dozens and injuring many more. The Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital, Ukraine's largest pediatric facility, sustained major damage in the blast, resulting in at least 37 deaths, including 3 children. 

"One part of the hospital was destroyed and there was a fire in another. It's really very damaged – maybe 60-70% of the hospital," said Dr. Lesia Lysytsia, a physician at Ohmatdyt. She described the terrifying moment of the strike: "It was like in a film – a big light, then an awful sound."

The attack, which left 37  people dead and 140 injured, was part of a larger Russian assault on several Ukrainian cities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the figures, emphasizing the extensive damage and loss of life. Pictures from the scene showed children, some with intravenous drips still attached, being evacuated amid the chaos. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko condemned the strikes as an attempt at "genocide" and announced a day of mourning in the capital. Mayor said, "Right now the whole world can see how Russian missiles and kamikaze drones killed Ukrainian citizens in our peaceful city." 

The mayor reported that a separate maternity hospital in Kyiv's Dniprovsky district had also been partially destroyed by falling debris, killing seven people. 

"Russian terrorists once again massively attacked Ukraine with missiles. Different cities,  Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk," Zelenskyy wrote on social media, listing major civilian hubs targeted in the attack. He called for a stronger Western response, urging allies to provide more air defense systems. 

"Our defense capabilities are still insufficient... We need more air defense systems," said Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. 

Witnesses in Kyiv described how children, some as young as 18 months old and suffering kidney problems, had to be hurriedly taken off dialysis and evacuated through the building’s windows. 

Nurse Tanya Lapshina, who was working when the missile struck, recounted, "It was absolute chaos. The children were panicked, crying in the bunker. There are no words for this. It’s awful. I’m still shaking." 

International leaders quickly condemned the attacks. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the strikes "particularly shocking," adding that "directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately." 

Western officials also expressed their outrage. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians," while UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, "We must hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account." 

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called the missile strike a "war crime" while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attack as "abhorrent”. US President Joe Biden promised "new measures" to boost Ukraine’s air defenses, calling the strikes "a horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality." 

The missile strikes were part of a broader assault that targeted several cities, including Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk. In Dnipro, a high-rise building and a business were hit, resulting in one death and six injuries. 

In Kryvyi Rih, at least ten people were killed, and over 30 were wounded. The eastern Donetsk region saw three fatalities in Pokrovsk, a town that has endured repeated bombardments. 

Russian officials acknowledged the massive missile strike but denied targeting civilian infrastructure. The Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed the strike was a response to Ukrainian attempts to hit Russian energy and economic facilities and asserted that only military targets were aimed at. 

They suggested the destruction in Kyiv was due to a Ukrainian air defense missile falling, a claim strongly refuted by Ukrainian officials who displayed fragments of Russian cruise missiles recovered from the site.