Russia’s attack on children’s hospital is utterly barbaric

Having spent over a decade working in the National Health Service before I entered journalism full-time, working in various hospital wards and departments, including the Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children, the recent Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital leaves me horrified and furious.

This is a calculated and cruel assault on the most vulnerable—sick children who are already fighting for their lives.

Think about the mindset behind such actions. We have a government that flaunts a macho image, with President Vladimir Putin famously posing shirtless on a horse like some kind of delusional, arrogant weirdo. These so-called tough guys have chosen to bomb a children’s hospital. An actual human adult man has decided to kill children and, inexplicably, has been cheered on by his circle.

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This isn’t strength; it’s sheer cowardice and moral bankruptcy. It shows a regime willing to target the innocent to maintain a façade of power.

On July 8, 2024, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine, hitting cities like Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih with over forty missiles. This brutal onslaught killed at least 33 people and injured around 125. In Kyiv alone, the devastation was severe, with 20 dead and 61 injured. The Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, a treatment centre for children with cancer, took a direct hit, destroying operating rooms and trapping people under the rubble.

Over 60% of the hospital was reportedly destroyed, with fires breaking out, adding to the horror. Think about this when you see the inevitable pro-Russian simpletons or bots.

Russian missile hits childrens hospital

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated, “Russia cannot be unaware of where its missiles are landing and must be held fully accountable for all its crimes: against individuals, against children, and against humanity as a whole.” This attack is part of a broader pattern of targeting civilians and essential infrastructure, aiming to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people by causing maximum suffering. The Germans tried that with us during the blitz; it didn’t work then either, but it’s not really a surprise the Russian Government are emulating the Nazis, is it?

The destruction in Kyiv affected multiple districts. Residential buildings, infrastructure, and the hospital bore the brunt of the attack. In the Solomianskyi district, a missile hit a multi-storey building, killing seven people and destroying 1,500 square metres of space. Fires erupted in the Desnianskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts, while in the Shevchenkivskyi district, an apartment building was demolished, displacing countless families.

Russia’s justification that these strikes were aimed at defence industry targets in retaliation for Ukrainian actions is not only unconvincing but also irrelevant, considering the human cost. The Security Service of Ukraine has found fragments of the Kh-101 missile, corroborated by video evidence, underscoring the deliberate nature of these attacks on civilian areas.

Witnessing such barbarism, many are calling for decisive action. There are growing demands to obliterate the bases from which these bombers launched their missiles. I fully agree. The international community cannot stand by while war crimes of this magnitude are committed.

Swift and decisive action is necessary to hold those responsible accountable and prevent further atrocities.

We must stand in solidarity with Ukraine and its people, condemning these barbaric acts and supporting efforts to defend against such inhumanity. The resilience of the Ukrainian people is admirable, but they should not have to face this alone. The global community must act to ensure justice and restore peace.

This attack, which hit children and medical staff, exposes the true nature of Putin’s regime—one that revels in cruelty and terror. It’s time the world recognised this for what it is: a despicable, unforgivable assault on innocent lives. We cannot and must not stand by. It’s time for action.

Ultimately, this is a fight for humanity itself. The values we hold dear—compassion, decency, and the protection of the innocent—are entirely incompatible with the evil displayed in this attack. To allow such acts to go unanswered is to accept a world where might make right and the vulnerable are mere collateral damage.

This is not just Ukraine’s battle; it is a stand for the core principles that define us as human beings. We must ensure that these values prevail and that justice is served for the sake of all humanity.