War in Ukraine - Targeted bombing of children's clinic? Kiev and Moscow accuse each other
One day before the NATO summit in Washington, more than 30 people were killed by Russian rocket attacks in Ukraine. A children's clinic in Kiev was heavily damaged. According to the Interior Ministry, at least 20 people were killed and 61 others were injured in the capital. At least 11 people were reported dead and 59 injured in the industrial cities of Kryvyj Rih and Dnipro in southern Ukraine.
The destruction of one of the largest Ukrainian children's clinics in Kiev left people speechless. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video on social media X showing damaged hospital rooms and bloodstains on the floor. "Russia cannot turn a blind eye to where its rockets fly, and must be held accountable for all its crimes," the president wrote.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko spoke of 16 injured in the hospital, among them 7 children. Two of the injured reportedly died. According to Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, departments for dialysis, cancer treatment, operating rooms, and the intensive care unit were damaged in the children's hospital.
Hundreds of residents helped rescue workers clear debris and search for victims. "Little cancer and dialysis patients are sitting on the sidewalk with their mothers," reported German Ambassador Martin Jäger on X during a visit to the hospital.
Ukraine suspects targeted attack – Russia denies
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed rocket attacks, allegedly targeting Ukrainian weapons factories and military airfields. However, videos from Kiev showed that the damage was caused by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile, they said without evidence.
The Moscow military dismissed the Ukrainian reaction as "hysteria of the Kiev regime," as they had often done before NATO meetings. Ukrainian reports claimed that another hospital in the capital was damaged on the other side of the Dnipro.
Zelenskyy rejected the Russian claims as an error of the Ukrainian air defense. "What cynicism the scoundrels in the Kremlin brought to light, that it was allegedly the Ukrainian air defense and not a targeted rocket attack that killed and injured many people," he said at a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.
Zelenskyy thanked all those who had posted videos online showing that it was not just a part of a rocket or a missile, but a direct rocket attack that had killed and injured many people.
The private power distributor DTEK reported damage to three substations in the capital. In addition to Dnipro and Kryvyh Rih, the frontline cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk were also targeted. No reports of damage to military targets or weapons factories were made.
Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv. One of the most important CHILDREN’S hospitals not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe. Okhmatdyt has been saving and restoring the health of thousands of children.
Now that the hospital has been damaged by a Russian strike, there are… pic.twitter.com/TmRlUmSBri— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2024
Kiev's mayor called on people to take shelter in bomb shelters
The Russian military reportedly launched over 40 rockets according to Zelenskyy's statements. It was unusual for such a heavy attack to occur in the daytime at the beginning of the work week. The Ukrainian Air Force reported 38 rockets and cruise missiles of various types, 30 of which had been intercepted. Already in the night, there had been air raids with drones, cruise missiles, and rockets.
In the three-million city of Kiev, at least seven people have been killed and at least nine have been injured, according to initial reports from the city administration. Private power distributor DTEK reported damages to three substations in the capital. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram about explosions and urged residents to stay in shelters. Ambulances are on their way to one of the central districts. Klitschko made no comments regarding possible damages or casualties.
Kiev hopes for further military support
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian invasion for over two years with Western help and has repeatedly called for the provision of advanced air defense systems.
According to the latest reports, Ukraine has received four of the particularly capable Patriot systems from US production, but needs much more, according to its own assessment. Another Patriot system is expected to come from the Netherlands, as Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans of the new government confirmed during a visit to Ukraine. Romania is also offering another installation.
Kiev also hopes for further commitments at the NATO summit, which begins on Tuesday in Washington. Up to six Patriot systems from Israel are under discussion. "We need resources to protect our people," said Andrij Yermak, chief of staff to President Zelensky, in an online press conference. He believes that Russia deliberately attacked before the NATO summit.
Zelensky stopped in Warsaw first on his way to the US. He signed a security agreement between Poland and Ukraine with Prime Minister Tusk. "Who defends Ukraine today defends themselves," Tusk said. The Ukrainian president said they would work on a mechanism to shoot down Russian rockets and drones over Ukraine that approach closely to Poland.
The question of support for Ukraine is a central theme at the meeting of the Western defense alliance, which has existed for 75 years. Ukraine hopes for membership, but no new steps are expected.
- The children's hospital in Kiev, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared the devastation on social media, is located in the capital of Ukraine where Mayor Vitali Klitschko resides.
- Igor Klymenko, who was not mentioned in the original text, could express his concern and outrage over the air attack in Kiev, condemning Russia for its actions and calling for accountability.
- After the air attack, Ukraine, particularly Kiev, relies heavily on international aid and military support, as shown by Andrij Yermak's remarks about the need for advanced air defense systems.
- Russia's denial of the air attack on the children's hospital in Kiev raises further tensions between the two countries, as Ukrainian officials, like Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reject their claims and seek international support.
