In a devastating assault on Ukraine, Russian forces launched over 40 missiles across multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, resulting in at least 31 fatalities and extensive damage, including a tragic strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
The attack, widely condemned as a ruthless targeting of civilians, saw missiles decimating parts of the Okhmatdyt pediatric hospital in Kyiv, where emergency responders and volunteers scrambled to rescue survivors amidst rubble.
Tragically, additional strikes hit a maternity hospital elsewhere in Kyiv, claiming more lives.
According to Channels Television, President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Poland signing a security agreement as the strikes occurred, denounced the assault as a grave escalation by Russia.
He called upon international allies to respond forcefully, emphasizing the need for increased air defense systems to counter Russian aerial attacks.
The United Nations (UN) condemned the strikes as unconscionable, particularly lamenting the deaths of children in the conflict.
European Union (EU) officials criticized Russia for its ruthless tactics, while France described the attack on the children’s hospital as barbaric.
Russia, however, disputed responsibility for the widespread damage, attributing it to Ukrainian air defense systems misfiring. Moscow maintained that its targets were limited to military and defense installations.
In response to the ongoing escalation, Ukrainian authorities reported casualties in multiple cities, including Kryvyi Rig and Dnipro, where residential areas and critical infrastructure were hit.
The strikes have exacerbated Ukraine’s energy crisis, with major energy facilities among the targets.