Russian Airstrike Hits Blood Transfusion Center in Ukraine, President Zelensky Calls it a “War Crime”
In a shocking turn of events, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced late Saturday that a deadly Russian airstrike had targeted a blood transfusion center in the northeastern Kharkiv region. This attack came just hours after a sea drone hit a Russian oil tanker near occupied Crimea. Although Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the two consecutive days of naval strikes on Russian properties, official sources have confirmed that both were carried out by the country’s navy and SBU intelligence service.
President Zelensky condemned the strike on the blood transfusion center in the city of Kupyansk as a “war crime.” He reported that there were reports of dead and wounded individuals after a Russian-guided aerial bomb set the building ablaze. A photo shared on Zelensky’s Telegram page depicted a roofless structure engulfed in flames against the backdrop of an orange night sky.
Meanwhile, Russia’s water transport agency stated via Telegram that the Sig oil tanker attacked on Saturday sustained damage but remained afloat and with no casualties. This incident came just a day after a strike on the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which allegedly damaged a Russian warship, as confirmed by a Ukrainian official. In response to these attacks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denounced the actions as “barbaric” and assured that they “will not remain without a response,” as reported by Russia’s state-run Tass news agency.
In an attempt to address the ongoing war and its global implications, representatives from at least 40 countries, including Ukraine, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, and Indonesia, have gathered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The summit primarily aims to serve as a diplomatic push by Ukraine to broaden its partnerships beyond its established circle of Western supporters. President Zelensky emphasized the importance of conducting bilateral negotiations on the sidelines of the summit.
Denise Brown, a U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, expressed her shock at the extent of the destruction caused by Russian strikes on Ukrainian grain storage facilities in Izmail last week. According to Brown, the amount of spoiled grain could have fed 66 million people per day. She suggested that this attack on Wednesday “may constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law.”
Highlighting the financial support provided by the United States to Ukraine’s fight against Russia, The Washington Post examined the significant amount of aid that has been committed, totaling over $60 billion since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Additionally, a recent report revealed that a three-man team successfully directed a drone to hit a cluster of antennas in a town occupied by Russian troops. The drone, made from Styrofoam-like material and costing $1,500, detonated upon contact with one of the antennas. Such operations have become a trademark of special forces units like the Security Service of Ukraine’s “A” (or Alpha) division. Journalists from The Washington Post were granted rare access to these teams as they provided support to regular military brigades involved in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which now extends across the country’s southeast.