Russian bombing has completely destroyed a children’s and maternity hospital in the besieged port city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine.
Regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike happened during an agreed ceasefire and left 17 wounded, including women in labour.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any fatalities. Ukrainian MP Dmytro Gurin claimed there were ‘a lot of killed and wounded women’ but this has not been confirmed by the local authority.
Mariupol City Council said ‘several bombs’ were dropped on the children’s hospital, adding: ‘The destruction is colossal.’
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed children are under the wreckage as he shared harrowing footage of an obliterated maternity ward.
He tweeted: ‘Mariupol. Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity!
‘How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity.’
The embattled leader has been pressing Nato allies to enforce a no-fly zone above Ukraine’s skies as Russia continues to target civilian infrastructure in its indiscriminate bombing campaign.
But countries have refused to heed the demand over fears it would spark a World War III that Moscow has warned would be ‘nuclear and destructive’.
Responding to news of the attack, Boris Johnson said the UK is exploring more ways it can support Ukraine’s resistance.
The prime minister tweeted: ‘There are few things more depraved than targeting the vulnerable and defenceless.
‘The UK is exploring more support for Ukraine to defend against airstrikes and we will hold Putin to account for his terrible crimes’
Mariupol council said that information on casualties is being clarified as it condemned the attack.
Sharing footage of the destroyed building on Telegram, officials said: ‘Another terrible video of the horrific consequences of the terrorist attack on a children’s hospital in Mariupol. The Russian army is fascist.’
Mr Kyrylenko has also posted a video on Facebook showing the extent of the damage caused in the strike.
He wrote that Russia has ‘not only crossed the border of unacceptable relations between states and peoples. You have crossed the line of humanity’.
‘Stop calling yourselves human beings,’ he added.
Mariupol is surrounded by Putin’s troops and has been the site of heavy bombardment for days.
The Red Cross has described the situation as ‘apocalyptic’ amid a shortage of food, water and electricity.
Days of shelling have largely cut residents off from the outside world and forced them to scavenge for food and water.
Authorities today announced another ceasefire to allow civilians to escape from Mariupol and other besieged areas.
Previous attempts to establish safe evacuation corridors have largely failed due to attacks by Russian forces.
There was no evidence that civilians were successfully evacuated today.
Ukraine’s foreign minister accused Russia of holding over 400,000 residents hostage in the city and blocking aid and evacuation routes.
Dmytro Kuleba said: ‘Indiscriminate shelling continues. Almost 3,000 newborn babies lack medicine and food. I urge the world to act.’
