Volodymyr Zhovnir, the director of Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, addressed the UN Security Council online regarding a Russian attack on the facility on 8 July.
The massive Russian missile attack on Kyiv, which occurred on 8 July, was part of a broader attack on Ukrainian cities that resulted in at least 36 civilian casualties, marking the deadliest air campaign in recent months.
Zhovnir said that over 600 patients and nearly as many staff were present during the strike, and three complex surgeries were underway at the time.
“At the moment of the attack, over 600 patients, and almost as many staff, were in the hospital. Three complex surgeries were being performed. Children were on IVs, on dialysis, and in intensive care. What happened put their lives at risk,” Zhovnir said.
He described the attack: “At 10:42 am, we heard a powerful explosion – the ground shook, and the walls trembled. Children and adults began to scream and cry from fear. It was complete hell.”
According to Zhovnir, the Russian missile struck the intensive care and chronic intoxication units. According to him, part of the building was completely destroyed.
“The ceilings collapsed. We heard people screaming, asking for help,” he said. The attack damaged 24 departments of the hospital.
Zhovnir informed that over 300 people were injured, including eight children. Two adults died, one of whom was a young doctor. Over 600 patients were evacuated, with about 100 transferred to other hospitals.
“Patients will not receive proper care. Our specialized services and high-quality equipment will not be provided soon. We will have serious long-term consequences for the medical field regarding the treatment of children,” the director of Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital warned of long-term consequences
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine stated there is a “high probability” that the children’s hospital in Kyiv suffered a “direct hit” from a Russian missile.
Russia, currently chairing the UN Security Council, denies targeting the hospital. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed they carried out a “precision strike on Ukrainian military industry facilities and air bases.”
Ukraine is calling for Moscow’s seat on the UN Security Council to be revoked, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsya, said on X.
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