Evidence shows that the Russian military has been bombing hospitals during its invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. Hospitals are
generally protected by the principle of "medical neutrality" during conflict, since they're both civilian sites and sources of humanitarian aid.
On March 9, Russian airstrikes hit and destroyed a maternity hospital in the port city of Mariupol. Videos show
windows blown out, medical equipment damaged and obliterated, twisted metal littering hallways, and patients in agony. So far, we know that the strike injured 17 individuals -- and killed three. Soldiers helping to evacuate the victims carried out at least one woman who was bleeding and a woman very far along in her pregnancy.
Officials reported that children were trapped beneath the rubble of shattered building pieces. No matter what Russian President Vladimir Putin's agenda is, there can be no place for bombing children, pregnant women, and hospitals. He must order a return to humanitarian protection for all hospital facilities!In another city, Zhytomyr, Russian military bombs struck two additional medical facilities, including a children's hospital -- forcing newborn babies and their mothers to evacuate into the building's basement. The strike also caused three residential homes to burn.
And these were just
two out of 18 Russian military attacks that the World Health Organization has confirmed occurred against Ukrainian health facilities.
According to
extensive evidence, this is not the first time Russian military forces have targeted hospitals during wars and conflicts. Several years ago, when the Russian government was assisting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his assault against his own people, Russian strikes repeatedly hit Syrian hospitals --
at least 50 different times.Waging war against civilians is just a state-sponsored form of terrorism. It's a war crime. And it's just shockingly, horrifically wrong. There is no way to ever justify this kind of callous brutality.
Tell Putin that his campaign of bombing people in hospitals must end, NOW!