Russian Ministry Claims 14 Killed In Ukrainian Strike On Eastern Hospital: Report

According to media reports, the Russian ministry claimed on Saturday that 14 people were killed in a Ukraine strike on an eastern hospital.

Image used for representational purposes only.

Russian ministry on Saturday claimed that 14 people were killed in a Ukraine strike on an eastern hospital, news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. 

#BREAKING Moscow says 14 killed in Ukraine strike on eastern hospital: ministry pic.twitter.com/O5YUUVoJh5

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 28, 2023

Russia's defence ministry accused the Ukrainian army on Saturday of attacking a hospital in the eastern Lugansk region, killing 14 people and injuring 24 others, the AFP report said. 

The ministry said in a statement that on Saturday morning in Novoaidar, "the Ukrainian armed forces deliberately attacked the building of a district hospital" with a US-made HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system, according to the report. 

According to the ministry, 14 people were killed and 24 were injured among "hospital patients and medical staff," as stated in the report.

According to the report, the hospital has been providing "necessary medical assistance to the local population and military personnel for many months," according to the statement.

"The Kyiv regime's deliberate missile strike on a known active civilian medical facility is, without a doubt, a grave war crime," the ministry said, the report added further. 

The local governor reported early Saturday that three persons were killed and at least two others were injured as a result of a Russian strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Konstantynivka.

"The Russians opened fire on a residential neighbourhood, causing damage to four multi-story buildings, a hotel, garages, and civilian automobiles," Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko stated on social media.

Russia is attempting to seize control of the entire Donetsk region, which it has already declared a part of Russia, nearly a year into its invasion of Ukraine.

This week, Ukraine reported that Russian troops had increased their attacks in the east, particularly on the towns of Vuhledar and Bakhmut. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation on the front as "extremely acute," particularly in the Donetsk region.

(With Inputs From Agencies)