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At least 43 people were killed and another 200 were injured after multiple Russian missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday, including the capital, Kyiv.
The missiles struck the cities of Kyiv, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Kryvyi Rih, and Dnipro in the middle of day, during the morning rush hour, killing 33 people in Kyiv alone. It could have been much worse, though: Ukraine actually shot down 30 of the incoming missiles, but eight others slipped through their defense systems.
One of the strikes destroyed over half of the country's largest children's hospital, the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, located in the capital. The hospital is one of Ukraine's largest centers for treating cancer and other diseases, making it extremely important. Two floors were completely destroyed, and multiple other areas around the building were also damaged. The strikes destroyed the toxicology ward, intensive care units (ICU), and most of the area where crucial surgeries are done. Debris immediately coated the area, and rescue crews are still searching through the rubble of the disaster to find any survivors or bodies. Some children were in the middle of procedures during the attack, while others were injured by shrapnel or suffered from smoke inhalation.
No one is being let into the building in fears that it could collapse, but all of the children and medical staff have been evacuated. All of the patients on life-support machines are being kept alive with portable machines, while urgent procedures have been taking place in the streets around the hospital. US President Joe Biden condemned the attack, and many other people joined him in other countries and online. However, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia maintained that they had launched the strikes without targeting the hospital specifically. He stated that if the attack were from Russia, everyone would have been killed, not just some of the patients, and instead blamed the strike on a misfired Ukrainian missile without any proof.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a Ukrainian hospital has been struck by Russian missiles. According to the World Health Organization, medical facilities in Ukraine have been struck over 1,600 times, killing a total of 141 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging countries across Europe and North America to supply more aid and defense systems to help protect the country from Russia's persistent attacks, but the thing he wants the most is full NATO membership. Both of these issues will be addressed at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington D.C., which begins today. They are expected to supply more military aid, including major defense systems to help fend off against Russian missiles, but NATO plans to reject Ukraine's bid to join the alliance. If they accepted the bid, a massive war would break out, as member countries are compelled to participate in any ongoing war against another member countries. This would force the United States and most of Europe to join the war against Russia, which must be avoided at all costs.
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Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. (Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Respite (noun) - Respite refers to a short period of time when someone is able to stop doing something that is difficult or unpleasant, or when something difficult or unpleasant stops or is delayed.
In a Sentence: The long weekend provided a nice respite from the pressures of her job.
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