For over two years, the Moscow regime has continued its attacks on Ukrainian cities, targeting civilians and critical infrastructure, including energy facilities.
On July 8, 2024, Russian forces launched one of the most devastating attacks against Ukrainian civilians.
They struck Ukraine’s pediatric hospital in Kyiv (Ohmatdyt) with a missile in broad daylight and targeted other cities across Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 41 civilians in the deadliest wave of air strikes in months.
Ohmatdyt children’s hospital, Ukraine’s largest pediatric medical center, plays a crucial role in caring for some of the most vulnerable children in the country. Annually, around 7,000 surgeries, including treatments for cancer and hematological diseases, are performed at the hospital.
Following the attack, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk visited the site and observed children receiving treatment for cancer in makeshift hospital beds set up in parks and on streets, amidst chaos, dust, and debris.
The Kremlin’s actions have raised serious concerns about a possible attempt to impose genocide on the Ukrainian people. The destruction of the children’s hospital is one of the most severe acts against the Ukrainian people, but it is not an isolated incident.
In March 2022, Russian forces carried out an air strike on a theater in Mariupol used as a refuge for children and clearly marked with the sign “children,” resulting in over 300 deaths.
Additionally, the Russian occupation regime has been involved in the mass forced deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to various regions of Russia, with the intent to impose Russian citizenship on these children against their will.
In response, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on March 17, 2023, for Russian president Vladimir Putin, accusing him of bearing criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine are considered crimes against humanity, and those responsible must be held accountable. Ukrainians believe that Russian war criminals will eventually face justice in The Hague, as history has shown with other war criminals.
Ukraine now needs international support more than ever, not only in rebuilding Ohmatdyt but also in broader efforts such as promoting President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula and rejecting proposals for alternative peace plans that favor the aggressors and disadvantage Ukraine.
Given these facts, I appeal to the Rwandan people and leadership to stand with Ukraine and condemn Russia’s actions.
The author is Andrii Pravednyk, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Rwanda. His views do not necessarily reflect those of Taarifa’s editorial line.
