Tessa Quinn
On 9 March 2022, the Russian Air Force bombed a hospital complex in Mariupol, Ukraine, functioning as a children's hospital and maternity ward. This attack, which killed at least four people and injured at least sixteen, was one of many targeted strikes on hospitals and other civilian sites during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Russia denied responsibility for the hospital bombing, claiming it was a response to Kyiv's aggression, evidence suggests that the attack was deliberate, with missile fragments traced back to a Russian-made Kh-101 cruise missile. This incident adds to the growing list of attacks on healthcare facilities and workers, constituting a gross violation of international law and resulting in widespread condemnation.
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What You'll Learn
Russia denies responsibility, blaming Ukraine
Russia has denied responsibility for the bombing of a children's hospital in Kyiv on 8 July 2024, instead blaming Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has countered these claims by posting pictures that show the building was struck by a Russian-made Kh-101 cruise missile. Fragments at the scene contained a serial number that was traced to a Russian missile model. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the attacks were in response to Kyiv's "attempts to damage objects of Russian power infrastructure and the economy". The ministry denied attacking civilian targets and claimed that "published photos and footage from Kyiv clearly confirm that the destruction was caused by a Ukrainian air-defense missile".
Russia has a history of attacking hospitals in Ukraine. Since February 2022, Russian forces have perpetrated both targeted and indiscriminate attacks on Ukraine’s health care facilities, constituting a gross violation of international law. PHR research has established a reasonable basis to believe that these attacks constitute war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity. Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence have also claimed that the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol in March 2022 was justified by the supposed presence of Ukrainian armed forces. Several media organisations dismissed these claims as false.
The Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialised Hospital in Kyiv is Ukraine's largest children's hospital, serving more than 20,000 children annually. The missile attack struck a medical building where children were receiving dialysis, while also damaging the intensive care, operating, and oncology departments, according to the Minister of Health of Ukraine. The strike destroyed the toxicology department, and the entire hospital was left without electricity, preventing the use of ventilators and other urgent care. The death toll from the attack is unclear.
Ukrainian officials said that Russian forces fired at least 40 missiles at sites across the country on the day of the attack, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 people. The UN's human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has said civilian casualties have been mounting in recent months, as Russia renewed its air campaign. A recent report said May was the deadliest month for civilian deaths in almost a year.
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Russia claims the hospital was being used by Ukrainian soldiers
On 9 March 2022, the Russian Air Force bombed Maternity Hospital No. 3, a hospital complex functioning as a children's hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukraine. The attack killed at least four people and injured at least sixteen, leading to at least one stillbirth.
The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence claimed that the bombing was justified by the supposed presence of Ukrainian armed forces at the hospital. Russian UN representative Vasily Nebenzya stated this publicly on 7 March, before the bombing took place. Several media organisations dismissed these claims as false.
On 10 March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the bombing of the hospital was a deliberate action. He stated that the maternity hospital had long been taken over by the Azov Battalion and other radicals, and that all the women in labour, nurses and staff had been told to leave. He said:
> It was a base of the ultra-radical Azov Battalion.
The Minister of Defence spokesperson, Igor Konashenkov, denied that Russian military aircraft had attempted to hit targets on the ground in the area of Mariupol. He claimed that the "alleged airstrike" was a "completely staged provocation in order to maintain the anti-Russian public outcry in the Western audience".
However, these claims have been contradicted by several sources. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has countered claims that Ukraine targeted the hospital with its own weapons by posting pictures from the site of the attack that evidently show the building was struck by a Russian-made Kh-101 cruise missile. The fragments on display contain a serial number that traces the weapon's model and build. Side-by-side images offered by Ukraine's security service and news agencies show the same markings on a detonated missile found at the site.
Furthermore, the director of Okhmatdyt, Volodymyr Zhovnir, described how hospital staff began evacuating patients to the bomb shelter when air raid sirens sounded. He detailed the physical harm and stress endured by the patients, noting that the hospital treats children with cancer and other heavy diseases. He underscored that striking a children's hospital is "not just a war crime, it is far beyond the limits of humanity".
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Ukraine presents evidence that a Russian missile was used
On 9 March 2022, the Russian Air Force bombed Maternity Hospital No. 3, a hospital complex functioning as a children's hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukraine. The attack killed at least four people and injured at least sixteen, leading to at least one stillbirth. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Josep Borrell, the European Union head of Foreign Affairs, and British armed forces minister James Heappey described the bombing as a war crime.
On 10 March, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence claimed that the bombing was justified by the supposed presence of Ukrainian armed forces at the hospital. However, several media organisations dismissed these claims as false. Ukrainian authorities described the damage to the hospital as "colossal". Video footage showed much of the front of the building ripped away, with mangled cars burning outside. Hospital wards were reduced to wreckage, with collapsed walls, rubble covering medical equipment, and shattered glass everywhere.
Ukraine has presented evidence that a Russian missile was used in the attack on the children's hospital. On 8 July, Ukraine's delegate to the United Nations Security Council held up images of the missile's flight trajectory and pictures of missile fragments retrieved from under the hospital. He argued that the footage showed the hospital was a deliberate target. Okhmatdyt Hospital, Ukraine's largest children's medical centre, was one of many targets in the heavy missile strike that hit Kyiv and other cities on that day. The Russian Federation launched 38 missiles, attacking almost 100 civilian sites.
In addition to visual evidence, Ukraine has also found Russian and Belarusian electronics in the wreckage of missiles fired at its country. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, commissioner for sanctions policy and adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that Ukraine is finding more and more Russian and Belarusian electronics in the wreckage of missiles fired at it by Moscow. Vlasiuk further noted that they have found Russian and Belarusian circuit boards and computer chips in Iskander missiles. These missiles have been used regularly by Russia since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. While some of the foreign parts found in the missiles are dual-use components originally designed for civilian use, others are American chips repurposed for Russian guided bombs, missiles, and drones.
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The attack is described as a war crime
On 9 March 2022, the Russian Air Force bombed Maternity Hospital No. 3, a hospital complex functioning as a children's hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The attack killed at least four people and injured at least sixteen, leading to at least one stillbirth. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Josep Borrell (European Union Head of Foreign Affairs), and British armed forces minister James Heappey described the bombing as a war crime.
Video footage following the attacks showed the front of the building ripped away, with mangled cars burning outside. Hospital wards were reduced to wreckage, with collapsed walls, rubble-covered medical equipment, and blown-out windows. The Deputy Mayor of Mariupol, Sergei Orlov, stated, "We don't understand how it is possible in modern life to bomb [a] children's hospital."
On 8 July, Russia targeted Okhmatdyt Hospital, Ukraine's biggest paediatrics facility, in Kyiv. Two people died, and 36 were killed in the strikes, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Russia denied targeting the hospital, but Ukraine retrieved fragments of a Russian-made Kh-101 cruise missile from the site. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) posted pictures of the missile fragments, which contained a serial number that could be easily traced. The UN's human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has said that civilian casualties have been mounting in recent months, with May being the deadliest month for civilian deaths in almost a year.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has stated that Russia's strategy in Ukraine includes attacking babies and children, constituting a gross violation of international law. PHR's research has established a reasonable basis to believe that these attacks constitute war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity. Uliana Poltavets, PHR's Ukraine emergency response coordinator, said, "Domestic and international actors should intensify efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for these war crimes."
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The attack is part of a wider pattern of bombing hospitals
The attack on the children's hospital in Ukraine is part of a wider pattern of bombing hospitals by Russia. On 9 March 2022, the Russian Air Force bombed Maternity Hospital No. 3, a hospital complex functioning as a children's hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The bombing killed at least four people and injured at least sixteen, leading to at least one stillbirth. Ukrainian authorities described the damage to the hospital as "colossal", with video footage showing much of the front of the building ripped away and mangled cars burning outside.
This incident is not an isolated one, as Russia has a history of systematically targeting hospitals and medical facilities in Ukraine and other countries. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, there have been numerous attacks on maternity hospitals and medical facilities in Ukraine, causing a birth-rate crisis in the country. More than 2,000 strikes on medical facilities have been reported, including 81 affecting maternal care and delivery rooms. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of pregnant women, such as Iryna Kalinina, who died along with her unborn baby.
On 8 July, Russia launched a heavy missile strike on Kyiv and other cities, with Okhmatdyt Hospital, Ukraine's largest children's medical centre, treating around 80,000 children annually, being one of the targets. The missile strike caused significant damage to the hospital, with the medical director, Volodymyr Zhovnir, describing the devastating impact on patients and staff. Similar attacks perpetrated by Russian forces have been observed in the Syrian civil war, where doctors refused to share their coordinates with the UN to avoid becoming targets.
The deliberate targeting of hospitals and medical facilities is a war crime, and Russia's actions have been widely condemned by international organisations and human rights groups. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported and verified a significant number of attacks on healthcare facilities, personnel, and patients. As of 4 April 2024, WHO verified 1,682 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, resulting in 128 deaths and 288 injuries of medical personnel and patients. These attacks have disrupted vital medical services and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
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Frequently asked questions
Russia has been accused of deliberately targeting hospitals in Ukraine, including children's hospitals, as part of its war strategy.
On 8 July 2024, Russia launched 38 missiles, attacking almost 100 civilian sites. One of these sites was Okhmatdyt Hospital, Ukraine's biggest paediatric facility.
Two adults died and 300 people were injured, including eight children. 600 patients had to be evacuated.
Yes. On 9 March 2022, the Russian Air Force bombed Maternity Hospital No. 3 in Mariupol, Ukraine, which also functioned as a children's hospital. At least four people were killed and at least sixteen were injured.
Yes. Russia has denied responsibility for the attack on Okhmatdyt Hospital, claiming that it had limited aerial strikes to defence industry targets and aviation bases. Russia also denied responsibility for the bombing of Maternity Hospital No. 3, claiming that the bombing was justified due to the presence of Ukrainian armed forces.
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