Rescuers work at Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. /Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters
By Smartencyclopedia & Agencies
Kyiv, Ukraine — A barrage of Russian missiles struck various Ukrainian cities on Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of at least 29 civilians and inflicting severe damage on Kyiv’s main children’s hospital in what officials are calling the deadliest air strike in months.
The attack sent hundreds of people scrambling to clear debris from the hospital, where windows were shattered and panels were torn off. Distressed parents, clutching their babies, wandered the streets in a state of shock and grief after the rare daylight aerial assault.
“It was scary. I couldn’t breathe, I was trying to cover (my baby). I was trying to cover him with this cloth so that he could breathe,” recounted Svitlana Kravchenko, a mother affected by the strike.
Widespread Devastation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia fired more than 40 missiles, hitting residential, and commercial buildings, and infrastructure in Kyiv, his hometown of Kryvyi Rih, the central city of Dnipro, and two eastern cities.
Authorities confirmed that ten people were killed and 35 wounded in the primary wave of attacks on Kyiv. A subsequent missile attack on a different hospital in Kyiv resulted in four more deaths and three injuries.
In Kryvyi Rih, eleven people were confirmed dead and over 40 wounded. The eastern town of Pokrovsk saw three fatalities when missiles struck an industrial facility. One person was also killed in Dnipro.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for strikes on defense industry targets and aviation bases in Ukraine, maintaining its stance that it does not target civilians or civilian infrastructure.
International Reactions and NATO Summit
The assault occurred a day before the commencement of a three-day NATO summit, where leaders of the military alliance, including Zelenskyy, are set to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“I would also like to hear from our partners (about) a greater resilience and a strong response to the blow that Russia has once again dealt to our people, to our land, to our children,” Zelenskyy stated. He vowed retaliation, calling for support from international partners.
Zelenskyy emphasized Kyiv’s need for the ability to strike the sources of Russian attacks and urged partners to provide the necessary weaponry. “This callous aggression – a total disregard for human life, jeopardizing European and Transatlantic security is why leaders will make significant security commitments to Ukraine this week,” U.S. Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink posted on X.
Plea for Enhanced Air Defenses
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov highlighted Ukraine’s ongoing shortage of air defenses, urging allies to supply more systems swiftly to protect cities and infrastructure from continuous Russian aerial assaults.
The power grid has suffered extensive damage from targeted Russian air strikes since March, leading to widespread electricity cuts. The sound of backup power generators has become a common feature in the streets.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private power producer, reported damage to the capital’s three electricity substations and networks. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the attack on the capital as one of the largest since the conflict began.
As Ukraine reels from the devastation, the international community watches closely, with the NATO summit poised to make crucial decisions on support and security commitments for Ukraine. Now in its second year, the conflict poses severe challenges to European and global stability.