Ukraine accuses Russia of ‘terror and murder’ after missile strike kills newborn baby

Ukraine’s president is accusing his Russian counterpart of bringing “terror and murder” to his country after an alleged Russian missile strike killed a newborn baby. The missile hit a maternity unit in the Ukrainian town of Vilnyansk in the country’s southern Zaporizhzhia region. The only woman in the facility was the baby’s mother who was rescued from the building along with a doctor. According to the BBC, the region has been the focus of repeated Russian strikes as it features a key nuclear plant.

Although the area is held by Ukraine, Russia has claimed the region of Zaporizhzhia after self-styled referendums back in September. Two more people were killed in shelling on a residential building in Kupiansk. The town is located in the Kharkiv region which was retaken by Ukrainian forces in September as well.

President Zelensky accused Russia of trying to “achieve with terror and murder what it wasn’t able to achieve for nine months” on the battlefield. His comments follow the recent attacks and referenced other attacks on medical facilities. One of the other attacks also included a strike on a maternity hospital which killed three, including a child. But, Russia denied the attack, saying it was staged.

It is believed that the Russian military has been targeting such medical facilities by using Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles. The Zaporizhzhia region nuclear plant became occupied by Russia weeks after the country invaded Ukraine on February 24. Upon invading, Russia annexed the region and other territories in September but has been pushed back from the Kherson region and other southern areas.

Meanwhile, the opening session of the G20 summit (Putin didn’t attend), featured British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, stating that Vladimir Putin should have faced the summit leaders.

“One man has the power to change all of this. It is notable that Putin didn’t feel able to join us here. Maybe if he had, we could get on with sorting things out. Because the single biggest difference that anyone could make is for Russia to get out of Ukraine and end this barbaric war.”