On Monday, July 8, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Kyiv, Dnepr, Krivoy Rog and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 42 people and injuring more than 200.
One of the missiles hit the building of the Okhmatdyt hospital, which is the largest children's medical institution in Ukraine and one of the largest in Europe.
Over time, evidence emerged that the Russian strike was carried out by the Kh-101 missile, although the Kremlin tried to disown the missile strike on children, blaming Ukrainian air defense for everything.
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For example, the head of the UN human rights monitoring mission said Monday's strike on the Okhmatdyt hospital was most likely caused by a direct hit from a Russian missile, citing his own analysis. The director of the hospital, Vladimir Zhovnir, said that more than 600 children were being treated there at the time of the strike.
In other parts of the capital, a woman’s body was recovered from the ruins of a residential building where 12 people died.
How did the Western media react to the Russian massive attack on July 8 on Ukraine and the Okhmatdyt hospital and what did they pay attention to — read on Facts ICTV.
Indian Prime Minister hugs Putin on the day of the attack on Okhmatdyt — Politico
Politico drew attention to how Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Tuesday criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hugging Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow. These events took place on the day Russian troops attacked a children's hospital in Kyiv.
— This is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts — to see the leader of the world's largest democracy embrace the world's bloodiest criminal in Moscow on a day like this — Zelensky wrote.
Modi arrived in Moscow on Monday for a two-day state visit, his first trip to Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
In a video clip that went viral on Monday evening, Modi stepped out of his car, walked up the steps to meet Putin, and warmly embraced the Russian president.
Speaking to the Indian diaspora in Moscow on Tuesday, Modi did not touch upon the topic of Russian strikes on Ukraine, but highly praised the relationship between the Russian Federation and India, calling Russia a “reliable friend”.
He also announced the opening of two new Indian consulates in Russia and praised his “friend” Putin for his work in developing partnership between the two countries.
Mourning, the UN Security Council and world attention — France24
French outlet France24 points out how Ukraine was plunged into mourning the day after deadly Russian strikes destroyed a children's hospital and drew international condemnation.
Mourning in Kyiv manifested itself through flags that will be flown at half-mast, as well as postponed entertainment events in the capital, since cranes and rescuers were still working at the site of the Okhmatdyt pediatric hospital since Tuesday morning.
Rescue efforts at the hospital ended early Tuesday morning, leaving two dead and dozens injured after part of the facility was reduced to rubble.
Vladimir Zelensky on social networks called on the allies to strengthen Ukrainian air defense systems. He is expected to continue making relevant calls during the NATO summit, the publication writes.
In addition, the Ukrainian president also called for a meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the strikes carried out by Russia on July 8.
The flow of donations after the terror of the Russian Federation — Reuters
Reuters writes that after Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and hospitals, Ukraine “received a flow of donations” for the restoration of Okhmatdyt.
Regarding donations, the publication writes that large Ukrainian businesses hastened to announce funds for the restoration of the children's hospital, which was one of the largest in Europe and provided treatment for various diseases, including cancer.
As Reuters notes, the total amount of donations for the hospital could not be calculated, but according to the agency’s calculations, based on statements and reports in Ukrainian media, the amount received from the corporate sector of Ukraine amounted to about 300 million hryvnia ($7.3 million).
For example, Oleg Gorokhovsky, the founder of the Ukrainian credit institution Monobank, said that in just three hours, users of his bank collected 100 million hryvnia from various enterprises.
Photo: SBU
Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar also announced that it will donate 10 million hryvnia, or about $250 thousand, to restore the hospital.
After promising to make a donation, Vladimir Mnogoletniy, founder of the IT company Genesis, wrote on Facebook how his premature son, now 5 years old, was treated in the hospital.
— We will transfer one million hryvnia from Genesis and another million from me personally for the urgent needs of the hospital, — written by Long-term.
Children cannot go down to the basement — NYT
The American newspaper New York Times drew attention to the personal stories of the victims who were in the Okhmatdyt clinic and how Russia is trying to terrorize the civilian Ukrainian population.
For example, the publication quotes the words of Olga Melnik, the mother of a child being treated in the oncology department of the hospital. Olga stated that after the blow she was in a state of shock.
— There were so many families like us who had already had their own personal battle with cancer. And you know, these children cannot go to the basement, because there (in the ward, — Ed.) all the tubes and procedures. If they do this, there will be no healing at all, the treatment session must not be interrupted, — she said.
The newspaper also points out how Russia has been relentlessly bombing Ukraine in recent weeks, trying to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses with a huge number of attacks. And although Kyiv has some of the most reliable air defense systems in the country and is thus largely protected from direct missile attacks, Moscow is still trying to test new tactics to break through them, writes NYT.
Overall, Ukrainian air defense is stretched to the limit, trying to simultaneously protect vital military installations, critical infrastructure and residential areas.
— This blow — a tragic reminder that it is impossible to have air defenses everywhere, that one must choose what will be protected and what will not, — said Thomas Karako, director of the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
According to him, priority, as a rule, is given to the protection of military installations. Unfortunately, however, this “plays into the hands of those who attack civilians in defiance of the most basic laws of armed conflict”, he continued.
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The United States will not change its position on strikes against the Russian Federation after the shelling of Ukraine — WP
Another American newspaper, the Washington Post, points out that devastating Russian missile attacks have heightened fears that Ukraine's air defenses remain inadequate and that Moscow will continue to exploit weaknesses.
In addition, the publication writes that the attack also prompted President Zelensky to ask for the lifting of restrictions on the use of American weapons to strike targets in Russia, which put key air bases out of reach. Zelensky said that the Ukrainian military should be able to strike Russian aircraft where they are stationed and be rearmed with new missiles.
However, the administration of US President Joe Biden has so far refused to ease these restrictions, not allowing strikes in border areas where Russian troops are planning imminent attacks, the newspaper writes.
Later, after Monday's attack, the White House reiterated that it would not ease restrictions on Ukraine striking targets inside Russia using U.S.-provided weapons. Spokesman John Kirby said American weapons could only be used to strike border areas inside Russia, where Moscow troops could be plotting impending attacks on Ukraine.
Also, the day after the attack, WP continues, namely today, July 9, the NATO summit will begin in Washington, where support for Ukraine is one of the central topics on the agenda. Although the United States and some other NATO countries have refused to speed up Ukraine's entry into the alliance, many have signed bilateral security agreements with Kiev promising ongoing assistance.
For his part, Vladimir Zelensky said that his country urgently needs not only the sympathy of its supporters, but also permission to strike Russian military aircraft at their bases.
