Russian rockets strike Okhmadyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv amid mass attack on June 8

On the eve of a NATO summit in Washington, Ukraine was rocked by explosions in a massive Russian rocket attack in the morning on June 8, 2024. Reports of the destruction and civilian deaths came from the east-central cities of Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih and the eastern cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Pokrovsk. Internal minister Ihor Klymenko reported that 20 civilians across Ukraine were killed in the attacks, and over 50 people were injured, but the number of casualties is not final.

A more extensive barrage of Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, killing ten civilians and injuring 35 more people, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office. Local officials reported that air defense could down part of Russian air threats — debris damaged many civilian buildings in six city districts — but some rockets reached their targets, including one of the biggest and most advanced children's hospitals in the country.

Two Russian rockets struck the Okhmadyt Children's Hospital, destroying one wing of the medical facility and causing a fire. Ukraine's health minister, Viktor Liashko, reported that the Russian strike hit the toxicology building, where children were receiving dialysis. The attack also damaged the intensive care unit, operating rooms, and oncology departments. 

Okhmadyt Children's Hospital is the largest and one of the country's most renowned pediatric medical facilities. It is known for its advanced medical equipment and highly skilled medical staff, who offer specialized treatments and emergency care for children from all over Ukraine. Okhmadyt doctors provide cancer treatment and care for young patients, offer services such as dialysis for children with kidney diseases, perform pediatric surgeries, and handle critical cases requiring intensive monitoring and treatment. The hospital staff treats up to 20,000 children and performs about 10,000 surgeries annually. Since the start of the full-scale war in 2022, the hospital has been working non-stop to treat both children and adults affected by the invasion, handling cases of injuries from shelling and other war-related traumas.

Rubryka's correspondent Mykola Tymchenko rushed to the scene of the Russian attack on Okhmadyt Children's Hospital to document the devastating tragedy that rocked the Ukrainian capital. Our reporter witnessed the hospital's facade and windows shattered by the blast wave and damaged entrances. While first responders raced to the site of the Russian strikes, Kyiv locals, including doctors and nurses of the destroyed children's hospital — some covered in blood — took it upon themselves to evacuate the victims and remove part of the debris. They continued supporting the rescuers and police, who arrived at the scene to contain the fire, dismantle the rubble, and save trapped civilians.