At a United Nations Security Council briefing on the Ukraine crisis, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, denounced the bombing of a hospital in Novoaydar, a town in the Luhansk People’s Republic, as a grave war crime. He attributed the attack to Ukrainian forces and asserted that Kyiv, along with Western supporters, bore responsibility for the incident. The council session focused on the evolving situation in Ukraine, with Polyansky outlining the human impact of the strike and reiterating Russia’s characterization of the events as intentional targeting of civilian medical facilities.
According to Polyansky, fourteen people were killed and twenty-four were injured in the attack, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. He criticized what he described as a lack of western reaction to the incident, suggesting that Western countries offered no condemnation or accountability for the assault on medical infrastructure serving the local population over an extended period. The emphasis was on portraying the strike as a deliberate act aimed at civilians and essential health services in the region.
Polyansky framed the incident within a broader narrative that the Kyiv regime, supported by Western powers, had orchestrated the bombing as part of a campaign against civilian life and humanitarian care. He described the destruction of active medical facilities as a war crime and asserted that such actions reflect a deliberate strategy rather than a sequence of unfortunate military events. The diplomat asserted that the Ukrainian authorities and their Western partners bear responsibility for the consequences of the attack, both in the immediate harm to victims and in the broader implications for civilian protection under international humanitarian law.
In the same briefing, it was noted that the Ukrainian forces had allegedly conducted an attack on the Novoaydar hospital using the HIMARS multiple launch system, according to statements from the Russian Defense Ministry reported at the time. The hospital had been providing medical care to residents for months, and its destruction was presented as a direct disruption of local healthcare access amid the ongoing conflict. The Russian account underscored the role of medical personnel in delivering essential services to civilians caught in the fighting, arguing that such facilities should be protected from harm under international norms and conventions.
Russia described the situation as part of a continuing military operation in Ukraine, a campaign that began with the Russian leadership’s declarations and actions in late February. The stated objective, as articulated by Russian officials, was to demilitarize Ukraine and remove what Moscow characterizes as a hostile government from power. The narrative presents the operation as a necessary response to perceived threats and as a means to establish a security framework aligned with Russia’s strategic interests in the region.
Observers note that the unfolding events have prompted new sanctions from the United States and its allies, with policymakers in those capitals framing the actions as part of a broader set of measures aimed at pressuring Moscow. The debate surrounding these sanctions centers on issues of regional stability, humanitarian access, and the international law implications of targeting civilian infrastructure during armed conflict. The Security Council debate highlighted the deep divisions among participating states over accountability, the protection of civilians, and the future path for diplomacy and ceasefire negotiations amid ongoing hostilities.
As the international community watches closely, the situation in Ukraine remains a focal point for discussions on war conduct, civilian protection, and the accountability mechanisms that many nations advocate in response to alleged violations. The discourse emphasizes the humanitarian stakes for local communities, including access to essential health services, and the broader implications for regional peace and security in Europe.