KYIV: Russian forces launched a series of missile strikes on Monday targeting multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, killing at least 28 people across the country besides severe damage to civilian infrastructure. The barrage was described as one of the deadliest daytime attacks since the invasion began.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian forces fired over 40 missiles targeting various cities and damaging infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings in different cities across Ukraine.
A Russian missile struck a crowded children’s hospital in central Kyiv causing extensive damage and killing at least 20 people. Reports indicate that the hospital, known as Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, a crucial healthcare facility treating thousands annually, was reduced to rubble. The attack left more than 50 persons wounded, many critically.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault, emphasizing the hospital’s role in saving and restoring the health of countless children. “Russia cannot claim ignorance of where its missiles are flying and must be held fully accountable for all its crimes,” President Zelenskyy said. He urged the international community not to remain silent in the face of such atrocities. “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.”
The strike on Kyiv also resulted in significant casualties elsewhere in the city, with at least nine additional fatalities reported and several injuries. Rescue efforts were hampered by debris from intercepted missiles, causing fires and further endangering civilians in residential neighborhoods.
Outside Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, scenes of heart-wrenching desperation unfolded as rescuers and civilians formed human chains to clear debris and search for survivors. Witnesses described chaotic scenes of dust-covered individuals, including children, being pulled from the wreckage amidst the rubble-strewn streets.
The Ukrainian health minister, Viktor Lyashko, confirmed that crucial hospital facilities, including intensive care units and operating rooms, sustained severe damage, necessitating the urgent transfer of patients to other medical facilities.
Monday’s airstrikes coincided with ongoing diplomatic efforts and the impending NATO summit in Washington, where leaders were set to discuss bolstering Ukraine’s defences against further Russian aggression. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko termed the assault on the capital as one of the most intense since the invasion began in February 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said people were still trapped under the rubble at the children’s hospital, and that the exact number of casualties was not yet known.
He said Russia directed at least 40 long-range missiles at targets across Ukraine, and there were reports of damage in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
