Russian forces bombed a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol, southern Ukraine, city officials said Wednesday. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the bombing was “proof of a genocide,” and repeated his call for NATO to declare a no-fly zone over the country.
The hospital attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour pause in hostilities to allow refugees to evacuate a number of towns and cities. Nearly 35,000 people were rescued via humanitarian corridors Wednesday, Zelensky said.
Ukrainian authorities say efforts to evacuate people to safety in some of Kyiv’s suburbs have failed, with the city council of Bucha accusing Russian forces of blocking an evacuation convoy.
Want to help? Learn how to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine here.
US House passes ban on Russian oil, natural gas and coal
From CNN's Kristin Wilson and Annie Grayer
The US House of Representatives voted with a wide bipartisan majority Wednesday to pass a ban on importing Russian oil, natural gas and coal into the United States.
The bill will also take steps to revisit Russia’s role in the World Trade Organization and reauthorize the Magnitsky Act to strengthen sanctions on Russia for human rights violations.
The final vote was 414-17, with two Democrats — Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — and 15 Republican members voting against the bill.
Russian forces bombed a maternity and children's hospital. Here's what we know about the siege of Mariupol
An injured pregnant woman leaves the damaged hospital with her belongings.
(Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)
Harrowing images show a heavily pregnant woman clutching her belongings, her face covered with cuts, as she walks down a bombed-out staircase at a maternity and children’s hospital in the city of Mariupol, southern Ukraine. Inside, smashed incubators and bloodied beds lay among the wreckage.
Russian forces bombed the hospital Wednesday, Mariupol officials said — an attack described by Ukraine’s President as an “atrocity” and “proof of a genocide.”
Here’s what we know:
Mariupol city council accused Russia of dropping several bombs on the hospital from the air, destroying the medical facility building where children were recently being treated.
The attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour pause in hostilities to allow refugees to evacuate a number of towns and cities.
Police in the Donetsk region said according to preliminary information at least 17 people were injured, including mothers and staff. Ukraine’s President said authorities were sifting through the rubble looking for victims.
A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman claimed — without providing evidence — that Ukrainian forces had “equipped combat positions” within the hospital. Video from the hospital after the bombing clearly showed there were both patients and staff there, including pregnant women.
The attack received international condemnation, with the UN saying it would follow up “urgently” on the “shocking reports,” and that health care facilities, hospitals and health workers should not “ever, ever be a target.”
Leader’s reaction: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the bombing is “proof of a genocide of Ukrainians taking place” and repeated his call for NATO to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
More bombings: A city administration building and a university in Mariupol, less than a kilometer from the bombed-out hospital, has been identified by CNN as a second location in the city hit by an apparent Russian military strike.
Evacuation corridor: The attacks came as humanitarian corridors were set up around Ukraine to evacuate civilians to safety. It is unclear if any people made it out of Mariupol, which has been has been under siege for days and isolated by Russian forces.
“Desperate situation”: About 1,300 civilians have been killed in Mariupol since the Russian invasion began, two officials in the city said. Residents have been cut off from water and electricity for days, and on Tuesday Ukraine’s Foreign Minister accused Russia of committing war crimes by holding 300,000 civilians “hostage.” Photos show bodies being placed into a mass grave in the city.
Destruction of city: New satellite images Wednesday from Maxar Technologies show homes, buildings, grocery stores and shopping malls across Mariupol damaged or destroyed in the fighting.
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US House passes government funding bill with $13.6 billion in Ukraine aid
From CNN's Annie Grayer, Clare Foran and Kristin Wilson
The US House of Representatives voted late Wednesday night to pass a massive government funding bill that includes $13.6 billion in desperately needed aid for Ukraine as the country fights back against Russia’s deadly invasion.
Congress is racing against the clock ahead of a Friday deadline when government funding is set to expire — but a shutdown is not expected.
That’s in part because many lawmakers are anxious to demonstrate support for Ukraine amid Russia’s unprovoked assault on the country.
As part of the effort to prevent a shutdown, the House also passed a stopgap bill to extend government funding through Tuesday.
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First lady Jill Biden to US military families: "History is being written in front of us"
