Russia-Ukraine War: Newborn killed in maternity ward strike

A Russian attack on a maternity ward has killed a newborn baby, Ukrainian officials say.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the Kremlin “evil” following reports of the tragedy in the southern Zaporizhia region.

Rockets slammed into Vilnianska Hospital overnight while a woman was in labor with a doctor by her side.

Rescuers say the mother and doctor were rescued from the rubble of the two-story building, but the baby died.

Sorrow fills the hearts of Ukrainians, said Zaporizhia Governor Oleksandr Starukh.

He wrote on Telegram: “Overnight Russian monsters fired huge rockets at the small maternity ward of Vilnyansk hospital.

“Sorrow fills our hearts – a baby who had just appeared in this world was killed.”

President Zelenskyy warned that the “terror and murder” brought to his country this morning will have consequences.

“The enemy has once again chosen to use terror and murder to achieve what they have been unable and will not achieve for nine months,” he said.

“Instead, it will only be held accountable for all the evil it has brought to our country.”

Russia has not directly commented on the baby’s death but has denied having targeted civilians in the past.

Emergency services shared video of rescuers trying to pull out a man trapped waist-deep in the rubble of what appeared to be a maternity ward.

It is believed that no one else was trapped in the rubble.

It’s not the first time Vladimir Putin’s troops have been accused of attacking a maternity ward.

On March 9, at least four people died and 16 were injured when a hospital in the port city of Mariupol was bombed.

President Zelensky asked NATO to close airspace over Ukraine afterwards, saying: “How much longer will the world be an accomplice that ignores terror? Now close the sky! Stop the killings! You have power, but you seem to be losing humanity.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, Visit our news page.