A U.N. rights mission reported on Tuesday that there is a “high likelihood” Kyiv’s main children’s hospital suffered a direct hit from a Russian missile during a series of airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, despite the Kremlin’s denials.
Ukraine observed a national day of mourning to honor the 44 people, including four children, who were killed in Monday’s air attacks. Among the victims were two individuals at the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in the capital. The hospital is one of Europe’s largest, treating patients with serious conditions such as cancer and kidney disease.
“Analysis of the video footage and an assessment made at the incident site indicates a high likelihood that the children’s hospital suffered a direct hit rather than receiving damage due to an intercepted weapon system,” stated Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s security service claimed to have unequivocal evidence that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile hit the medical facility. They published images of what they identified as fragments of the missile’s engine.
The Kremlin, without providing evidence, insisted that Ukrainian anti-missile fire was responsible for the damage to the hospital. Despite these denials, the attack has prompted millions of dollars in donations from both within Ukraine and internationally, more than 28 months into Russia’s full-scale invasion. Health authorities reported that eight children were wounded at the hospital.
In response to the attack, the United Nations Security Council convened on Tuesday at the request of Britain, France, Ecuador, Slovenia, and the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy traveled to Washington for a three-day summit of NATO leaders, aiming to secure commitments from allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and increase military support.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to advance slowly, claiming on Tuesday the capture of the village of Yasnobrodivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine, which has reported heavy fighting in the region for months, did not immediately comment on this claim.
During a visit to Moscow, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that “the heart bleeds” when children are killed in war, conflict, or terrorist attacks. Modi’s remarks were seen as an implicit rebuke to Putin, despite the warm welcome he received at the Kremlin.
President Zelenskiy condemned Modi’s trip to Russia, describing it as “a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.”
