A ballistic missile hit just outside a Ukrainian hospital Thursday, killing two civilians, in a sign that Putin’s military is paying little regard to civilian life in its invasion plans.
The news comes hours after Russia began invading Ukraine without any provocation, shelling multiple towns across Ukraine and sending civilians into bomb shelters in Kyiv.
Amnesty International’s Evidence Lab confirmed the death of the two civilians outside the hospital, located in Vuhledar. The head of Donetsk regional military-civilian administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in a post on Facebook that four people had been killed, with approximately 10 injured.
Ukraine/Russia – BREAKING: Ballistic missile strike outside hospital in Vuhledar in Ukraine killing at least two civilians is verified by Amnesty Evidence Lab. Hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law, ballistic missiles should never be used in populated areas https://t.co/IZCE2AyFIw
— amnestypress (@amnestypress) February 24, 2022
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, warned Russia’s cruelty is on full display in the hospital attack, and could be a harbinger of more bloodshed to come.
“This is beyond evil,” Kuleba said. “Consider this: Putin has launched a massive war of aggression in Europe during a still raging pandemic. On top of that, Russians bomb Ukrainian hospitals now.”
Russia’s disregard for hitting hospitals—let alone during a pandemic—should peel back the layers on Russia’s approach to the conflict and galvanize efforts to thwart Moscow’s invasion, Kuleba said.
“The only moral choice any government can make now is to support Ukraine by all means,” he said.
U.S. officials have been warning for weeks that Russia’s incursion into Ukraine could leave devastation in its wake, including tens of thousands of civilian deaths, human rights atrocities, and violations of international law. Already, in less than 24 hours, Russia is barreling through, demonstrating just how true these predictions have been.
Little Boy Dead After ‘War Crime’ Rocket Attacks on Suburban Homes in Ukraine
“Hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law, ballistic missiles should never be used in populated areas,” Amnesty International said in a statement shared on Twitter.
Children are also falling in the crossfire: A boy in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine died in a bombardment in Ukraine in the early hours of Russia’s invasion, as The Daily Beast reported. And in that case, too, the weapon suspected to be used, a “Smerch” Multiple Launch Rocket System, would make the incident a violation of international humanitarian law.
Updates on deaths as a result of Russia’s invasion may not be entirely accurate to the minute, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a recent update 137 have died so far, including 10 officers. 316 additional are wounded, he said.
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