Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv most likely hit by Russian missile – UN

Danielle Bell, the head of mission for the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, has said that UN analysis suggests that the strike on the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialised Hospital in Kyiv on 8 July was caused by a direct hit from a Russian missile.

Source: Reuters, citing Danielle Belle during a press briefing in Geneva, which she joined via video link from Kyiv

Quote from Bell: "Analysis of the video footage and an assessment made at the incident site indicates a high likelihood that the children's hospital suffered a direct hit rather than receiving damage due to an intercepted weapon system."

Details: Bell said that her team visited the site on Monday, 8 July, and could not make a final determination, even though the missile appeared to have been launched by Russia.

Bell also said that around 670 children and 1,000 hospital staff were in the hospital at the time of the attack.

"Staff had moved the children to a bunker yesterday morning when the air raid sirens first went off, otherwise the casualties would have been much higher," she added.

Background:

• The Russians launched a strike on the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialised Hospital in Kyiv on 8 July. One of the buildings was destroyed and rescue operations continued through the morning of 9 June.
• The Kyiv authorities reported that 2 people had been killed and 32 injured as a result of the Russian attack on 8 July as of 12:15 on 9 July.
• The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) defined Russia's attack on the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialised Hospital in Kyiv as a war crime and initiated criminal proceedings into the matter. Early reports from SSU investigators indicate the Russians used a Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile to attack the medical facility.
• Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force said that Ukrainian air defence missiles could not have struck the Okhmatdyt hospital.

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