On July 8, 2024, a series of Russian missile strikes hit various cities in Ukraine, resulting in at least 76 fatalities and over 230 injuries. One of the most devastating attacks targeted Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv. The hospital is one of Europe's most important medical facilities for saving and restoring children's health, conducting approximately 7,000 surgeries annually.
The attack on the hospital left at least three children among the injured. Two people were killed and ten more were injured at the facility. One doctor was also among those killed in the strike.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia had destroyed Ukraine's largest children's hospital in Kyiv, expressing his vow to hold Russia accountable for the attacks on civilian facilities.
Russian strikes have targeted homes and hospitals across Ukraine, prompting Zelenskyy to call for peace through joint action with world powers. In addition to Kyiv, cities such as Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk were also affected by the attacks.
Ukraine's Security Service found wreckage from a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the site of the hospital attack and opened proceedings on war crime charges. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed success in targeting Ukrainian defense plants and military air bases, but denied aiming at civilian facilities.
The exact number of casualties from the attack on Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital is still unknown, as people were trapped under the rubble. The hospital has been a vital source of healing for thousands of children in Europe.
