Ukraine updates: Russia hospital strike condemned at UNSC

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss a wave of Russian airstrikes on several Ukrainian cities.

Among the sites hit was the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

During the emergency meeting, France's representative, Nicolas de Riviere, called it a "further entry in a list of war crimes" committed by Russia in Ukraine.

China also expressed concern over the strikes, but did not directly denounce Moscow.

Fighting in Ukraine "intensified and there have been brutal attacks from time to time that have claimed many victims. China is deeply concerned about this," said China's deputy ambassador to the UN, Geng Shuang.

Joyce Msuya, the acting head of the UN Emergency Relief and Works Agency (OCHA), said that the strike that hit the Okhmatdyt hospital was part of "a deeply concerning pattern of systemic attacks, harming healthcare and other civilian infrastructure across Ukraine."

"Intentionally directing attacks against a protected hospital is a war crime and perpetrators must be held to account," she said.

Russia is a permanent member of the UN body, meaning that it has a veto over Security Council resolutions. The other permanent members are China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Also on Tuesday, a UN rights mission said that there was a "high likelihood" that the children's hospital in Kyiv took a direct hit from a Russian missile.

"Analysis of the video footage and an assessment made at the incident site indicates a high likelihood that the children's hospital suffered a direct hit rather than receiving damage due to an intercepted weapon system," said Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

 US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet at NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington on Thursday to show "unwavering support" for Kyiv, the White House said.

"On Thursday afternoon, President Biden will meet with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to discuss our unwavering support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself from Russian aggression," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing Tuesday.
 

Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has repeated his long-term support for Ukraine against Russia ahead of a NATO summit in Washington.

Scholz said he was keen to use the opportunity to restate the very clear message that "we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes."

He spoke about arms deliveries and a joint initiative recently agreed by the G7 the group of major industrialized democracies.

At its summit in Italy, the G7 agreed to finance a loan package of about $50 billion, partly using interest from frozen Russian state assets.

Scholz said that the measure was a clear sign of solidarity as well as a message to Moscow. 

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin could not rely on "sitting out this war, so to speak, and waiting until support for Ukraine wanes."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia saying it has dealt a blow to peace efforts.

Zelenskyy's post included pictures of a missile strike that hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv on Monday. 

"It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day," Zelenskyy wrote in a message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Modi met Putin on Monday, at the start of his two-day trip. He posted photos of his arrival in Moscow on X, in both Russian and English. 

Modi said he was "looking forward to further deepening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between our nations."

Initial footage indicates that a Russian missile struck a children's hospital in Kyiv, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said.

Danielle Bell, who heads the mission, said the footage shows a "missile launched by the Russian Federation... directly impacting the hospital."

She added that further investigation was necessary.

Russia denied responsibility for the hospital strike on Monday. 

Ukrainian authorities, however, said Russia struck the hospital with a Kh-101 Kalibr missile.

Russia would follow this week's NATO summit in Washington "with the greatest attention," the Kremlin said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the media on Tuesday that Russia considered NATO to be fully involved in the conflict in Ukraine.

Leaders from 32 NATO countries will meet in the US capital to mark the military alliance's 75th anniversary. 

They will also look at  shoring up support for Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion.

In a post on X, President Volodmyr Zelenskyy thanked "all the leaders who supported us and are preparing new joint steps to protect lives from Russian terror."

He updated the casualty toll from the strikes to 38 dead and 190 wounded. He said that all the surviving patients from Okhmatdyt hospital had been moved to other facilities.

"I am grateful to everyone who is rescuing and caring for our people, to everyone involved, and to everyone who is helping," he wrote.

Russia's air defense systems destroyed 38 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, the Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday.

 "Air defense systems on duty destroyed and intercepted three UAVs over Belgorod region, seven UAVs over Kursk region, two UAVs over Voronezh region, 21 UAVs over Rostov region and five UAVs over Astrakhan region," the ministry said on Telegram.

At least four people were killed in the last 24 hours in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian region of Belgorod, the border area's governor said. 

 "It has been a very uneasy, difficult 24 hours for the Belgorod region. Four people died, 20 were injured, 17 remain in medical facilities, two of them in serious condition," Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement on Telegram.

Belgorod's mayor had said earlier that Ukrainian troops launched overnight attacks throughout the region.

 "The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to attack Belgorod region's settlements," Valentin Demidov posted on Telegram.

A fire broke out at a power substation in Russia's southwestern Rostov region, according to Russian authorities.

Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said that Ukraine had launched dozens of drones overnight.

"As a result of an air attack in the Rodionovo-Nesvetaysky district, two transformers caught fire at a power substation," said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

He said that Russian air defense systems destroyed dozens of drones.

Rostov borders the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden said that deadly Russian missile strikes on several Ukrainian cities were a "horrific reminder of Russia's brutality."

The daytime strikes killed at least 31 people and injured 154, according to Ukrainian officials. One of the sites hit was the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, which is the largest of its kind in Ukraine.

Biden said in his statement that the US and NATO allies would announce new measures to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses.

"It is critical that the world continues to stand with Ukraine at this important moment and that we not ignore Russian aggression," Biden said.

Biden did not specify what systems could be provided.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot missile batteries to fend off Russian strikes.

In June, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, Biden said five countries had pledged the delivery of additional air defense systems to Ukraine "relatively soon." 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a bilateral security deal in Warsaw on Monday.

The deal paves the way for a plan to allow Poland to shoot down any potential Russian missiles being fired in its direction while they are passing through Ukrainian airspace.

Meanwhile, some of Ukraine's other allies reaffirmed their support after several Ukrainian cities were hit by Russian strikes.

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said that the NATO military alliance will "announce significant new steps to strengthen its military and political partnership with Ukraine."

He said that US President Joe Biden will host an event with Zelenskyy and that there will be several "big announcements" this week.

The UK's newly instated Foreign Secretary David Lammy vowed to provide "iron-clad" support for Ukraine.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also offered help for Ukrainian children impacted by Russia's strike on Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv.

A wave of Russian strikes hit five Ukrainian cities on Monday, including the capital, Kyiv. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched dozens of missiles toward five towns and cities in southern and eastern Ukraine as well as Kyiv. 

At least 37 people were killed, including three children, with more than 170 wounded, Zelensky said.

The Okhmatdyt children's hospital, the largest of its kind in Ukraine, was hit in Kyiv, which suffered the largest Russian bombardment seen in nearly four months. 

The strikes sparked condemnation from Ukraine's allies, with US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller accusing Russia of "deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure" and EU top diplomat Josep Borrell denouncing Russia's "[ruthless] targeting [of] Ukrainian civilians."

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, stressed that hospitals have special protection under international humanitarian law.

The UN Security Council is set to convene a meeting on the strike that hit the children's hospital on Tuesday at the request of the UK, France, Ecuador, Slovenia and the US.

Russia denied the allegations that it had targeted civilian infrastructure, insisting it hit military targets. Moscow's Defense Ministry claimed that damage in Kyiv was caused by a "Ukrainian air defense missile."

sdi/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)