The Foreign Ministry condemned the Russian bombing that hit the Ohmatdyt children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Monday (8).
At least 27 people, including three children, were killed in the capital, the Kiev city military administration said. Of those, two people were killed and at least 16 were wounded in the attack on the children’s hospital.
“The Brazilian government reiterates its condemnation of attacks in densely populated areas, especially when they cause damage to hospital facilities and other civilian infrastructure, and expresses its solidarity with the victims and their families,” the ministry said in a statement, without naming Russia.
In addition to the deaths in Kiev, shelling hit areas in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. In total, 37 people were killed and another 170 were injured.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked both parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, as well as the special protection granted to medical facilities and units, “which must be respected in all circumstances.”
“Until the relevant actors genuinely and effectively engage in peace negotiations, Brazil reiterates its call for three principles for de-escalating the situation to be observed: no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no inflammation of the situation by any party,” the statement continued.
The facility is Ukraine’s largest children’s medical center and has been vital in caring for some of the sickest children across the country. Every year, around 7,000 surgeries — including treatments for cancer and hematologic diseases — are performed at the hospital, according to Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets.
Footage from the children’s hospital shows volunteers working with police and security services to sift through the rubble as staff worked to get children to safety after the attack.
Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko said intensive care units, oncology departments and surgical units had been damaged.
More than 600 patients were evacuated from the hospital, with more than 100 transferred to other health facilities, Liashko said, according to state news agency Ukrinform.
The strikes were part of a rare daytime bombardment of Ukrainian cities, some of which are densely populated areas far from the front lines.
The Russian strike came a day before US President Joe Biden is due to host a key NATO summit in Washington, where further announcements on the alliance’s military, political and financial support for Kiev are expected.
“It is critical that the world continues to stand with Ukraine at this important moment and that we do not ignore Russian aggression,” Biden said, noting that he would meet with Zelensky during the summit “to make clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering.”
“Together with our allies, we will announce new measures to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses to help protect its cities and civilians from Russian attacks,” he added.
Russia’s defense ministry said Moscow attacked “Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and air bases of the Ukrainian armed forces” using long-range, high-precision weapons.
Witnesses report despair
Windows were shattered and panes ripped out. Parents holding babies spilled out into the street, dazed and sobbing.
“We heard an explosion and then we were covered by debris,” Svitlaka Kravchenko, 33, told Reuters after she and her husband Viktor emerged from the shelter.
The two-month-old baby was unharmed, but Svitlana suffered cuts and the car was completely buried under the rubble of the destroyed building, across the courtyard from the main wing.
“It was scary. I couldn’t breathe, I was trying to cover (my baby). I was trying to cover him with this cloth so he could breathe,” she said.
Read the full Itamaraty note
“The Brazilian government condemns the bombing that hit the Ohmatdyt children’s hospital in Kiev today, which resulted in a significant number of fatalities, including children. The Brazilian government reiterates its condemnation of attacks in densely populated areas, especially when they cause damage to hospital facilities and other civilian infrastructure, and expresses its solidarity with the victims and their families.
Brazil urges the parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the special protection afforded to medical facilities and units, which must be respected in all circumstances.
The Brazilian government continues to advocate dialogue and a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Until the relevant actors genuinely and effectively engage in peace negotiations, Brazil reiterates its call for three principles for de-escalation of the situation to be observed: no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no inflammation of the situation by any side.”
(With information from Gustavo Zanfer, Svitlana Vlasova, Daria Tarasova-Markina, Maria Kostenko, Victoria Butenko and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, from CNN )
Source: CNN Brasil
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