Video: 17 injured after strike on children’s hospital in Mariupol

Ukraine said a Russian airstrike on a children’s hospital in the port city of Mariupol left more than a dozen people injured on Wednesday, 9 March.

According to AFP, a local official, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said preliminary figures indicate that no children were wounded in the strike on the hospital in Mariupol.

“So far there are 17 wounded personnel of the hospital,” said Kyrylenko. He added that no deaths were reported either.

Mykhailo Podolyak, the Head Adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, said the port city is being “erased” by shells.

“A direct blow at the maternity center has happened. Women in labour and kids are under the wreckage. Instead of new lives – deaths,” said Podolyak in a tweet, which contained video footage of the aftermath of the shelling.

He once again called for the airspace above Ukraine to be declared a no-fly zone. “Isn’t it an argument to stop the killing,” he asked.

In response to the Mariupol incident, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the air strike and vowed to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable.

“There are few things more depraved than targeting the vulnerable and defenceless,” Johnson said in a tweet.

“The UK is exploring more support for Ukraine to defend against airstrikes and we will hold Putin to account for his terrible crimes.”

Additional reporting by AFP.