Ukraine mourns after day of Russian air strikes
Ukraine is observing a day of mourning following one of the most devastating waves of Russian missile strikes in months, resulting in at least 41 deaths and 166 injuries.
Among the affected buildings was the main children’s hospital in Kyiv, which was hit along with other structures in various cities on Monday.
Two people died when a missile struck part of the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital, Ukraine’s largest pediatric facility, prompting a search for survivors in the rubble that continued into early Tuesday.
In another development, the governor of Russia’s southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, reported that four people were killed in Ukrainian strikes over the past 24 hours.
On Monday, Russia denied targeting the Kyiv hospital, claiming it was struck by fragments of a Ukrainian air defense missile, while Ukraine reported finding remnants of a Russian cruise missile.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as “brutal” and labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin a “bloody criminal.”
NATO is set to hold a summit in Washington later on Tuesday, with the military bloc’s response to the invasion of Ukraine as a key topic.
World leaders allied with Ukraine, including the new British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have condemned the attack. Starmer called the targeting of innocent children “the most depraved of actions” and pledged continued support for Kyiv despite the change in the UK government.
US President Joe Biden described the strikes as a “horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality” and announced that additional support for Ukraine’s air defense systems would be forthcoming.
President Zelensky reported that Russia had launched over 40 missiles on Monday, causing damage to nearly 100 buildings in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk.
Rescue workers and medics dug through the rubble to look for survivors, though it was unclear how many were still trapped.
On Monday afternoon, Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 16 people, including seven children, had been injured in the hospital strike.
He said the attacks across the city were among the worst Kyiv had faced since the beginning of the war, as he ordered flags to be flown at half-mast on Tuesday and cancelled entertainment events.
Following the strike, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wore a black ribbon as a mark of respect when she played in the round of 16 at Wimbledon on Monday afternoon.
She fought back tears during her post-match interview, saying: “It wasn’t easy to focus today on the match.
“Since the morning it was difficult to read the news. To go on the court is extremely tough.”
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.
On Tuesday morning, the governor of the Rostov region in southern Russia said a fire had broken out at a powerplant after Ukraine launched “tens” of drones.
