Russia bombs Ukrainian maternity hospital in Zhytomyr as mothers and children ‘flee to basement’
Russian airstrike on residential area of Zhytomyr killed two people and damaged hospital
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A maternity hospital has been struck by shelling in Ukraine as mothers and children took cover in the basement.
The Russian airstrike hit a residential area in the city of Zhytomyr yesterday, killing at least two people, Ukraine’s emergency services said.
A cruise missile landed on an apartment building near Pavlusenko Hospital, according to The Kyiv Independent.
The strike damaged the hospital, breaking the windows, and burned three homes.
Mayor Serih Sukhomlin said “powerful explosions” were heard and firefighters were called to the scene.
Ukrainian activist Daria Kaleniuk said newborn babies and their mothers were evacuated to the basement.
About 85 miles west of Kyiv, Zhytomyr is the home of the elite 95th Air Assault Brigade, which may have been the intended target.
Video released by Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs shows a rescue operation in Zhytomyr following a Russian missile strike.
The footage shows clouds of smoke and rescue workers digging and cutting through debris.
The ministry said the footage showed a maternity home in the city being destroyed, but it is not clear if it depicts the same strike.
Meanwhile at least 21 people have been killed and 112 injured by shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, as Russia’s invasion enters its seventh day.
Russian paratroopers landed overnight, and the Ukrainian military has accused them of attacking a local hospital.
In Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russia’s troops are drawing closer. A 40-mile military convoy has stoked fears of a major assault on the city.
According to Amnesty International, Russia has violated international humanitarian law during its invasion and may have committed war crimes.
The human rights organisation said the Russian military had launched indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, including strikes on hospitals.
Amnesty’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard said: “The Russian military has shown a blatant disregard for civilian lives by using ballistic missiles and other explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas.
“Some of these attacks may be war crimes. The Russian government, which falsely claims to use only precision-guided weapons, should take responsibility for these acts.”
The International Criminal Court has announced it will investigate possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Russia routinely denies it carries out illegal attacks.
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