Ukraine president condemns ‘war crime’ air strike on Mariupol maternity hospital
- At least three dead, others wounded, in apparent Russian strike on hospital in besieged Mariupol
- Russian UN official rejects Ukraine president’s charge of genocide, calling it ‘fake news’
02:06
Ukraine leader calls Russian attack on Mariupol maternity and children’s hospital ‘genocide’
An apparent Russian air strike destroyed a children’s hospital in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol, triggering renewed global outrage as Moscow’s war with its ex-Soviet neighbour entered its third week.
The strike came as Mariupol’s mayor said more than 1,200 civilians had died in a nine-day Russian siege of the southern port of almost half a million, with people left cowering without power or water under a barrage of shelling.
Condemning Wednesday’s hospital attack as a “war crime”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also shared video footage showing massive destruction at the complex, saying a “direct strike by Russian troops” had left children under the wreckage.
He urged the West to impose even tougher sanctions, so Russia “no longer has any possibility to continue this genocide”.
However Russia said the reports were “fake news” as the building was a former maternity hospital that had long been taken over by troops.
At least three people were killed, including a young girl, in the attack, local officials said on Thursday. Officials had previously given a toll of 17 injured in the attack.