Jordan Ellis
On 8 July 2024, a children's hospital in Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile strike, killing at least four people and injuring many more. The Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, Ukraine's largest paediatric clinic, was targeted, causing outrage and condemnation from Ukraine's allies. This incident has been described as a war crime and an attack on the most vulnerable members of society. While Russia denied targeting the hospital, claiming it was hit by a Ukrainian air defence missile, evidence suggests that a Russian cruise missile was involved. This attack has brought the world's attention back to the war in Ukraine and raised questions about the role of Western leaders and NATO in deterring Russia's aggression.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of attack | 8 July 2024 |
| Location of attack | Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Hospital name | Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, also known as Ohmatdyt Hospital or Maternity Hospital No. 3 |
| Hospital type | Ukraine's biggest paediatric facility, with intensive care, surgical, oncology, and toxicology wards |
| Number of deaths | 2-4 |
| Number of injuries | 16 |
| Responsible party | Russian Federation, with Sergei Kobylash named as a suspect |
| Weapon used | Russian Kh-101 cruise missile |
| International reactions | Widespread condemnation, with calls for stronger Western response and ICC arrest warrants issued for Russian officials |
| Ukrainian reactions | Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials condemned the attack as a war crime and genocide |
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What You'll Learn
Putin accused of war crimes
On 8 July 2024, a children's hospital in Kyiv was hit by a missile strike, killing at least four people and injuring many more. The hospital, Ukraine's largest paediatric facility, was renowned for its cancer treatment, with 20,000 children treated annually. The attack has been widely condemned as a war crime, with Putin accused of being a "war criminal".
Ukraine's allies have joined in the condemnation, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accusing Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians". The UK's David Lammy echoed these sentiments, stating that "we must hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account". The UN's human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has reported that civilian casualties have been mounting in recent months, with May 2024 being the deadliest month for civilian deaths in almost a year.
Images from inside the hospital showed bloodied children, collapsed ceilings, and destroyed operating rooms. The intensive care, surgical, and oncology wards were severely damaged or destroyed, and the toxicology department, where children receive dialysis, was wrecked. First responders found children receiving cancer treatment set up outside in parks and on the street. Hospital officials reported that about 20 children were being treated in the ward that was hit.
The attack has been described as an "act of audacious cruelty" aimed at demoralising the Ukrainian people and showing Western leaders how ruthless Putin can be. Ukrainian philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko stated that "Russia attacks the most vulnerable: children with cancer in Kyiv's biggest children's hospital; [and a] maternity house in Kyiv with newborns... It's a Russian war against life itself."
The Security Service of Ukraine has published pictures of what it says are fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile recovered from the site. Russia has denied targeting the hospital, claiming that it was hit by a Ukrainian air defence missile. However, Ukraine has stated that remnants of a Russian cruise missile were found, and the trajectory of the missile suggests that the hospital was a deliberate target. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for six Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin.
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Russia denies targeting hospital
On 8 July 2024, a children's hospital in Kyiv was hit by a missile strike as Russia launched a wave of missile strikes across Ukraine. Two people died when the Ohmadyt Children's Hospital—Ukraine's biggest paediatric facility—sustained major damage during the blast. Thirty-six people were killed and 140 were injured in the strikes, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
The Russian Federation has denied targeting the hospital, saying it was hit by fragments of a Ukrainian air defence missile. However, Ukraine claimed it had found remnants of a Russian cruise missile. Lesia Lysytsia, a doctor at the hospital, described the moment the missile struck as "like in a film". "One part of the hospital was destroyed and there was a fire in another. It's really very damaged—maybe 60-70% of the hospital," she said.
Kyiv's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, said the two who died at the hospital were adults, one of whom was a doctor. He added that rescuers feared more people were trapped under the rubble. Dr Lysytsia said: "Now we are in the process of evacuating patients to the nearest hospital... many patients are intubated and on ventilators and cannot have contact with other patients or go outside." Hospital officials told Ukrainian TV that about 20 children were being treated in the ward that was hit.
Ukraine's allies have condemned the attack, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accusing Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians". The UK's Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said: "We must hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account." UN chief António Guterres strongly condemned the strikes, with his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric adding that he found the attack on the children's hospital "particularly shocking". "Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately," he said.
The attack on the children's hospital has been described as far beyond the limits of humanity, with calls for the incident to be treated as a war crime. The Security Service of Ukraine has published pictures of what it says are fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile recovered from the site. Dnipro regional head, Sergiy Lysak, said: "We must hold [Russia] accountable for the blow that [they have] delivered on our population, on our land, on our children."
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Ukraine condemns 'genocide'
On 8 July 2024, a children's hospital in Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile strike, killing dozens. The attack on Ukraine's biggest paediatric facility, which carried out cancer treatment and organ transplants, was part of a wave of missile strikes against cities across Ukraine. The intensive care, surgical and oncology wards of the hospital were severely damaged, and its toxicology department, where children received dialysis, was destroyed.
The attack was condemned by Ukraine's allies, including the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who accused Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians". The new UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, emphasised the need to "hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account". The UN chief, António Guterres, also strongly condemned the strikes, with his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stating that the attack on the children's hospital was "particularly shocking". Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.
The Ukrainian authorities described the attack as a war crime and evidence of genocide. Kyiv's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, condemned Russian 'genocide'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that the attack constituted "proof that the genocide of Ukrainians [was] taking place". Sergei Orlov, deputy mayor of Mariupol, described the attack as both a war crime and genocide.
The allegation that Russia is committing genocide against the Ukrainian people has been made by multiple national governments, international organisations, independent experts, and media outlets. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution on 14 April 2022, recognising the actions of Russian troops and leadership in Ukraine as genocide. The resolution states that these crimes were committed "on the orders of the military commander-in-chief President Vladimir Putin". The acts of genocide by Russia included mass atrocities committed by Russian troops, systematic cases of the deliberate killing of civilians, and systemic actions designed for the gradual destruction of the Ukrainian people.
Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have recorded mass cases of crimes by the Russian Armed Forces against civilians during the invasion of Ukraine, including torture, executions, rape, and looting. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin stated that there is growing evidence of genocide being committed by Russian forces. As Ukrainian forces liberate more areas, evidence of crimes against humanity continues to emerge.
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International outrage
The attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 8 July 2024 has sparked international outrage and condemnation. The bombing, which killed at least two people and injured 16, with 32 more dying in strikes across the country, has been widely criticised by world leaders, international organisations, and the media.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, accused Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians", while the UK's Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, emphasised the need to "hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account". The United Nations (UN) chief, António Guterres, strongly condemned the strikes, with his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, expressing particular shock at the attack on the children's hospital. Dujarric reiterated that "directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately."
Switzerland also expressed its shock at the strike, stating that it is "disgraceful that a children's hospital, where many suffer from serious illnesses and are in extremely vulnerable conditions, has been targeted by a Russian strike." The Swiss statement further highlighted the impact of the war on children in Ukraine, noting that "instead of going to school, children in towns on Ukraine’s front lines have been forced to spend between 3,000 and 5,000 hours sheltering in basements and subway stations."
The media's response to the attack was similarly outraged. Publications such as the Daily Mirror, The Independent, the Daily Express, and the Daily Mail used words like "barbaric", "depraved", and "atrocious" to describe the act. Italian newspaper Il Giornale went so far as to label Putin a "war criminal".
The bombing of the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital is not an isolated incident, as the Russian Federation has been accused of previous attacks on hospitals and schools in Ukraine. The Mariupol hospital airstrike in 2022 was confirmed by organisations and officials as a war crime perpetrated by Russian forces.
The international community's condemnation of the attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital underscores the widespread recognition of the atrocity and the urgent need for accountability and protection of civilians, especially vulnerable children, in Ukraine.
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Calls for stronger Western response
On 8 July 2024, a children's hospital in Kyiv was hit by a missile strike as Russia launched a wave of attacks across Ukraine. The Ohmadyt Children's Hospital, Ukraine's biggest paediatric facility, sustained major damage during the blast, killing two people and injuring 140 others.
The attack has been widely condemned by Ukraine's allies. The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of "ruthlessly targeting Ukrainian civilians", while the new UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, emphasised the need to "hold those responsible for Putin's illegal war to account". The UN's human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has reported that civilian casualties have been mounting in recent months, with May being the deadliest month for civilian deaths in almost a year.
In response to the attack, Ukraine's Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, urged the country's allies to help strengthen its air defences. Dnipro regional head Sergiy Lysak echoed similar sentiments, calling for a stronger Western response to protect Ukraine's population, land, and children.
Vitaliy Klitschko, Kyiv's mayor, stated that one of the two adults killed at the hospital was a doctor. He added that rescuers feared more people were trapped under the rubble. Dr Lesia Lysytsia, a doctor at the hospital, described the moment the missile struck as "like in a film", with a "big light, then an awful sound". The intensive care, surgical, and oncology wards of the hospital were severely damaged, and the toxicology department, where children receive dialysis, was destroyed.
The attack on the children's hospital is not an isolated incident. In March 2022, Russian forces bombed Maternity Hospital No. 3 in Mariupol, a hospital complex functioning as a children's hospital and maternity ward. The bombing killed at least four people, injured at least sixteen, and led to at least one stillbirth. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Josep Borrell, and British armed forces minister James Heappey described the bombing as a war crime. The Mariupol hospital airstrike received widespread condemnation in the international press, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offering to rebuild the maternity hospital.
The calls for a stronger Western response to the attack on the children's hospital in Kyiv highlight the need for increased support and protection for Ukraine and its civilians. The impact of the strike on essential medical infrastructure and the loss of lives, including those of children, underscore the urgency of a more robust response from Western allies.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. On July 8, 2024, Russia launched a missile strike on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. The hospital is Ukraine's largest paediatric facility, and the attack killed at least two people and injured 16.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin and five other Russian officials for war crimes. Russia denied committing war crimes and dismissed the ICC warrants as biased.
The hospital bombing was widely condemned by Ukraine's allies. The EU, UK, and UN strongly denounced the attack, with the UN chief calling it "particularly shocking". Switzerland expressed shock that a children's hospital was targeted, and the international press described the act as "barbaric" and "depraved".
