WHO warehouse in Ukraine destroyed amid overnight strikes by Russia and Ukraine
A World Health Organization warehouse in Dnipro was destroyed during recent missile and drone attacks, while Russia and Ukraine each reported casualties from overnight strikes on multiple cities.
A World Health Organization storage facility in Dnipro that held emergency medical supplies for frontline health centres was destroyed by a strike on Friday, the agency said. The warehouse contained about 300 pallets; staff and drivers evacuated roughly 130 pallets before the attack and no casualties were reported.
Ukrainian emergency services reported that Russian forces carried out a large-scale missile strike on Odesa overnight, injuring at least eight people and targeting energy infrastructure, residential buildings and the port, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media. In Kharkiv, a Russian strike on the Saltivka district killed two people and wounded at least 21, while firefighters rescued seven individuals from a high-rise building. Additional strikes in the Zhytomyr region left three people injured.
In retaliation, Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, killing five people and injuring 25, as confirmed by the regional crisis centre.
"I cannot say loudly enough: attacks on health care MUST STOP. Otherwise, people are deprived of lifesaving healthcare," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO.
"Every such attack on human life serves as a constant reminder – we need more pressure, more sanctions against Russia, and more air defense for Ukraine," President Zelenskyy added.
The incidents highlight an escalation of hostilities affecting civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations in the region.