A Ukrainian influencer has been criticised for revealing the location of a field hospital treating injured troops just hours before it was hit by a lethal Russian air strike.
Anna Alkhim, who has 600,000 Instagram followers, had posted an appeal for aid for the clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, saying injured Ukrainian troops were there. Hours after her post last Thursday, a Russian missile strike targeted the field hospital, killing four people and wounding 30 others, including two boys aged three and six.
The attack, which left the building in a pile of burning rubble, was condemned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a crime against humanity.
In her post, Alkhim said hospitals numbers 6 and 9 were treating a large number of military personnel.
The attack was condemned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a crime against humanity.
In her post, Alkhim said hospitals numbers 6 and 9 were treating a large number of military personnel.
Two more men were later found dead amongst the rubble, Lysak said, adding that 30 people had been wounded including two children.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry called the attack a serious war crime under the Geneva Conventions, which sets out how soldiers and civilians should be treated in war.
Moscow has dismissed allegations that its soldiers have committed war crimes and denies deliberately targeting civilians although it has bombarded cities across Ukraine since invading 15 months ago.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Friday: ‘As a result of a missile strike, a three-story building of a medical institution was partially destroyed in the city, followed by burning, as well as a fire in an adjacent building.
‘The fire at the medical facility was extinguished in an area of 1,000 square metres.
‘In the one-story building of the veterinary clinic, the area of the fire was 200 square metres. Rescue units have already dealt with it.
‘Two people died on the spot, and another 23 were injured, including two children born in 2020 and 2017.
‘In total, 52 rescuers and 18 pieces of equipment were involved from the State Emergency Service for liquidation of the consequences.’
The Ukrainian authorities have since said that the attack claimed the lives of four people.
