Ukraine reports Russian shelling of cancer hospital

Ukraine has alleged Russian forces shelled a cancer hospital and a few other buildings in the southern city of Mykolaiv several days after Ukrainian officials accused Russia of hitting a children’s hospital, The Associated Press reported.

A doctor at the hospital, Maksim Beznosenko, said that the building suffered damage but no one was killed during the attack, the news outlet noted. A couple hundred patients were inside during the shelling.

The development comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday that it had verified at least 26 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine.

“As of today, @WHO has verified 26 attacks on health care in #Ukraine between 24 Feb-9 Mar, incl. the maternity hospital in Mariupol; In total, 12 people died and 34 have been injured. More incidents are being verified. WHO strongly condemns these attacks,” the organization tweeted.

Earlier this week, Ukraine alleged that Russian forces had hit a children’s hospital in the southeastern city of Mariupol, which officials said killed three people and injured many more. 

Ukrainian officials have also reported that Russian forces hit a Holocaust memorial site and a mosque.

During an interview with “BBC Newshour,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield was asked if Russia had committed war crimes.

“You know, this is the question that we’re being asked every day, and we’re working with others in the international community to document the crimes that Russia is committing against the Ukrainian people,” Thomas-Greenfield responded. “They constitute war crimes; there are attacks on civilians that cannot be justified by any — in any way whatsoever.”

“I still see images of a woman being rolled out of a hospital, pregnant, bleeding, people screaming, children crying. It is just unconscionable. And we call on Russia to change course,” she continued.

Members of the Biden administration have been careful about their characterization of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Several U.S. officials have said they would encourage an investigation into possible war crimes conducted by Russia.

Vice President Harris said there should “absolutely” be an international investigation into possible war crimes by Russia in Ukraine during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, Poland.