Russian forces destroy all children's departments in Mariupol’s hospitals

Invading Russian forces in the temporarily occupied Mariupol have destroyed more than half of the hospitals and all their children's departments

This was reported by the Mariupol City Council. 

"There is not a single children's department in the hospitals of occupied Mariupol. Residents under occupation complain that there is no place to treat children, and in case of severe conditions, they must be taken to Donetsk," the statement reads. 

The city council emphasised that before the Russian full-scale invasion, Mariupol paid considerable attention to children's medicine. 

According to Mayor Vadym Boychenko, the city had modern children's outpatient clinics, a children's consultative and diagnostic clinic, and a children's regional infectious disease centre. They were equipped with modern equipment. 

“Russian forces destroyed more than half of the hospitals and took away the rest of the equipment. Now there is no place to treat children. The destruction of hospitals is a war crime, because Russian occupiers deliberately destroyed any possibility of rescue during the blockade. Now they continue to passively kill people because of the medical crisis in the city and the lack of professional assistance," Boychenko added.