Russia strike on Mariupol hospital hits children's and maternity ward

Russia strike on Mariupol hospital hits children's and maternity ward

Russia has destroyed a children's hospital in the besieged port city of Mariupol in the south-east of Ukraine, the city council says.

Qazet.az reports that in a statement issued on Facebook, officials say that "Russian occupying forces have dropped several bombs on the children's hospital. The destruction is colossal".

Council officials added that they do not yet know exact casualty numbers.

"The maternity ward in the city centre, the children's ward and the therapy ward at the hospital - all destroyed in a Russian air raid on Mariupol," the head of the regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said.

He added that those wounded in the strike are being evacuated to the nearest hospital.