On July 8, 2024, emergency forces and civilians conducted a search and rescue operation in the ruins of the “Okhmatdyt” Children’s Hospital in Kiev, Ukraine.
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In a rare large-scale daytime attack, Russian missiles struck Ukraine, killing at least 31 people, injuring 125 others and severely damaging a key children’s hospital, Ukraine’s interior ministry said.
The Russian army launched more than 40 aerial missiles at cities such as Kiev, Dnipro, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Ukrainian President Zelensky’s hometown Kriveroy. According to the Kiev City Military Administration.
At least 20 people died and 61 were injured in Kiev Ministry of Interior said in a statement via Google Translate. The Okhmat Children’s Hospital in Ukraine’s capital suffered “considerable damage”, Patients being transferred Travel to other medical institutions in Kiev. It was unclear whether the site was hit directly or by shrapnel.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a doctor and another adult died in a medical facility said on telegram, before the ministry updates. He added at the time that 16 people were injured in the hospital, seven of them children.
“This is terror and genocide!” Klitschko says.
Several other regions also announced deaths clinverroy — Oleksandr Vilkul locationdirector of the local military administration, declare a day of mourning – also In Dnipro and pokrovskAccording to the regional leader.
CNBC was unable to verify casualty figures, which could change as rescue operations continue. Ukrainian officials shared images showing large amounts of smoke, raining debris and flattened sites, but CNBC could not confirm their authenticity.
“Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kiev. It is not only the most important children’s hospital in Ukraine, but also one of the most important in Europe. Okhmatdyt has been saving and restoring the health of thousands of children,” Zelensky talks about offense About X.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said accusations of deliberate missile attacks on civilian facilities were “absolutely untrue.” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said its forces carried out large-scale attacks on Ukrainian military installations and air bases with long-range precision weapons in response to hostilities in Kiev.
“The target of the attack has been achieved. Designated facilities were attacked,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement translated by Google. statement.
CNBC has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
NATO summit is about to be held
The massive attack came on the eve of a key three-day NATO summit in Washington, where the allies are expected to agree on further military support for Ukraine. Zelenskiy arrived in Warsaw on Monday to meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who reiterated Poland’s commitment to Kiev.
Zelenskiy said the leaders of Poland and Ukraine signed a security cooperation agreement that “includes provisions for shooting down Russian missiles and drones launched in Ukrainian airspace in the direction of Poland.”
“You can always count on us in this fight,” Tusk said on social mediaaccording to Google Translate.
At the same time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Kremlin for the first time since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He will meet with Russian President Putin strive to strengthen ties As Russia remains isolated or under outright sanctions from its international counterparts.
In addition, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who holds the rotating EU presidency on July 1, has begun carrying out a so-called “peace mission” to broker a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict. He has so far visited Ukraine and Russia for talks with their leaders, but his contacts with Putin have angered EU officials.
Earlier on Monday, Orban met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a close ally of Russia, in Beijing.
“China is a key force in creating the conditions for #peace in the #RussiaUkraineWar. That’s why I came to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping two months after his official visit to Budapest.” Orban said on social media.
“President Xi made it clear to me today that #China will continue to work hard to create conditions for #peace,” He added.
In February 2023, China released a peace plan for its war in Ukraine, but that plan — like Zelensky’s own framework and Putin’s recent preconditions for starting truce talks — has yet to gain traction.