A Russian missile strike on a medical clinic in Dnipro, Ukraine has killed at least two people and injured over 30 others, including two young boys. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack a “pure atrocity” and shared a video of the damaged clinic. The strike is part of an increase in Russian attacks on Ukraine ahead of an expected counteroffensive. Ukrainian authorities claim to have shot down 17 missiles and 31 drones launched from Russia overnight, with several hitting targets in Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. In response, Russia claims that two Ukrainian drones caused a blast in the southern city of Krasnodar, but there were no casualties.
Based on BBC News reporters James Waterhouse and Antoinette Radford, a medical clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro was devastated by a Russian missile strike, leaving at least two people dead and more than 30 injured. Among the wounded were two young boys aged three and six. Ukrainian officials reported that the region was under a “mass attack…with missiles and drones” on Thursday night, with the strikes intensifying in recent weeks ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a “pure atrocity” and posted a video of the damaged clinic that showed firefighters at the scene and smoke billowing from the building. “Russian terrorists once again confirm their status of fighters against everything humane and honest,” he said.
At the scene, fire crews were sawing down trees to get a mounted hose closer to the flames which had engulfed the large, three-story building. Meanwhile, amidst the rubble, rescue teams were searching for two missing people. Ukrainian authorities said they shot down 17 missiles and 31 drones launched from Russia overnight. Several drones and missiles hit targets in Dnipro and the eastern city of Kharkiv, including an oil depot.
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, was also targeted, and officials said fragments of intercepted drones fell on the roof of a shopping center, while a house and several cars were damaged. In Russia, a blast damaged a residential and office building in the southern city of Krasnodar on Friday morning. The region’s governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, said it was caused by two Ukrainian drones: “There is some damage to buildings, but critical infrastructure was not damaged. And most importantly, there were no casualties.”
Russia’s Belgorod region, which was the scene of an unprecedented incursion from Ukrainian territory earlier this week, was also hit overnight. The village of Kozinka was struck more than 130 times, Based on its governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Mr. Gladkov said one woman was injured, and the Grayvoron district, where the incursion took place, was subject to the worst attacks.
The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has been ongoing since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. The fighting in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists has claimed more than 13,000 lives.
The latest escalation in violence comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides accusing each other of violating a ceasefire agreement that was signed last year. The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of amassing troops near its border, while Russia has accused Ukraine of preparing for an offensive.
The international community has condemned the recent violence and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
To encapsulate everything, the recent missile strike on a medical clinic in Dnipro, Ukraine, is a tragic reminder of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The escalating violence is a cause for concern, and the international community must work together to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
