Good morning.
At least 38 civilians were killed and nearly 200 injured after Russian missiles struck cities across Ukraine in the early hours of Monday morning. In Kyiv powerful missiles hit Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital which is also its main treatment centre for children with cancer, demolishing the top two floors, shattering windows and destroying an entire ward. Another Russian strike later that same day hit a building in the capital where a maternity hospital is located, killing at least seven people. Images of bloodied children and piles of rubble sent shockwaves around the world.
Ukraine declared Tuesday a day of mourning, as rescuers continued to dig through the rubble looking for survivors.
Over the past few months the war in Ukraine has been intensifying – UN officials said May was the deadliest month for civilian casualties in almost a year. Russia has denied that it is responsible for the attack on the hospital, blaming Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles, but the UN’s monitoring mission in the country said it was highly likely to have been a Russian missile strike.
For today’s newsletter, I spoke with Chris York, news editor of the Kyiv Independent, about the initial aftermath of the strike on Okhmatdyt children’s hospital. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
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UK politics | Suella Braverman has sparked a backlash after she attacked “liberal Conservatives”, saying she was angered by the flying of the Progress Pride flag in her department when she was the UK home secretary, and calling it a “monstrous thing”.
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US election 2024 | The White House clarified that Joe Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physicals, after a heated exchange between the president’s press secretary and journalists seeking an explanation for a Parkinson’s disease specialist visited the White House eight times in as many months.
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Work | Campaigners for a four-day working week are preparing a new pilot project on flexible working in the hope that the Labour government will be more receptive to such changes.
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Water | Thames Water said it intended to tap investors for fresh funds as it would run out of money by next June without a cash injection, raising fears over its potential collapse.
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Health | The amount of sugar consumed by children from soft drinks in the UK halved within a year of the sugar tax being introduced, a study has found. The tax, which came into force in April 2018, has been so successful in improving people’s diets that experts have said an expansion to cover other high sugar food and drink products is a “no-brainer”.
In depth: ‘Of all the things you can target, I can’t think of a single thing worse’
Chris York was walking to work when he heard air raid sirens. It did not particularly trouble him as sirens are a fairly regular occurrence in the capital. Over the past few weeks in particular they have been more frequent, going off daily.
“There were still people walking around, going about their day. It’s been two and a half years now of the war so people are slightly less apprehensive than they once were,” York says. The noise that accompanies their daily lives is often of air defences keeping Russian missiles out. “So even when there are explosions, while they are still frightening and loud and people jump, it sounds weird to say, people don’t get completely terrified or worried because they’re the sounds of the air defences working.”
It was only when York noticed a column of smoke that he realised a building was hit. Once the first reports started coming in about what had been struck, he says “there was just this silence – a state of almost pure shock – that it was a children’s hospital that had been hit. Of all the things that you can target in a city, I can’t think of a single thing worse.”
A shock in Kyiv
The strike on Okhmatdyt children’s hospital was part of a barrage that also targeted Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. It was the heaviest bombardment that Kyiv had seen in months and one of the deadliest in the war so far. Ukraine’s military said Russia had fired hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, one of the most advanced weapons that Moscow has, which are difficult to intercept because of their speed. Ukraine’s air force managed to shoot down 30 out of 38 Russian missiles.
All surviving patients were moved to other medical facilities. The strike primarily destroyed the toxicology ward, where children with severe kidney issues were receiving care, as well as damaging intensive care units, oncology departments and surgery units. The Guardian reported witnessing many young distressed cancer patients during the evacuation, “some barely clothed and with medical tubes still attached to them”.
York got to the site of the attack an hour and a half afterwards. Despite the chaos caused by the strike, he said, residents did not retreat into their homes. Once they had been told it was safe, “within an hour there was already a huge volunteer movement, where people were bringing trolleys full of water and food to the hospital”. York saw one man “with two brand new shovels, still with the labels on, that he just bought from a hardware store down the road to help dig through the rubble”.
The attack was a shock for Kyiv, having experienced a period of relative peace in the capital due to its air defences. But Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, has been urging allies to increase deliveries for air defence for months as diminishing capabilities are leaving the country vulnerable to deadly attacks.
An intensifying war
While the targeting of a children’s hospital was particularly grim, Russia has been credibly accused of routinely targeting medical facilities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine over the course of the war, though Moscow has denied all of the allegations.
According to data collected by Physicians for Human Rights, Ukraine’s medical infrastructure has been attacked at least 1,336 times since the war began. The International Rescue Committee puts the number of attacks on medical facilities at 1,700. Ukrainian officials have said that 97% of Russian missiles, drones and guided bombs hit civilian infrastructure. Attacks on energy facilities have compromised water supply in certain areas and disrupted electricity access for millions of civilians.
By many measures “the war is not going well for Ukraine”, York says. Taking advantage of delays in military supplies for Ukraine from the US, Russia has scaled up its attacks on the 600-mile front. The Russian military is advancing slowly, pushing at and stretching Ukraine’s defences, grinding down its manpower and military supplies. “Russia is trying to demoralise Ukrainian people and force them to give in through these ruthless and relentless strikes.” However, Russia is still far from achieving the original aims of its 2022 invasion, with Moscow’s military suffering staggering losses.
Global response
The response from world leaders to the attack has been unanimous and swift. Joe Biden said the hospital attack was “a horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality” and added that it was crucial that the world “continues to stand with Ukraine”. Nato allies began their annual summit yesterday with the war topping the agenda. Biden has announced that Nato countries will provide Ukraine with five new strategic air defence systems, with more pledges expected in the coming days.
Though this is important, with the war looking like it will continue beyond the November US elections, it remains a conundrum who the next president is. “As it currently stands, the US is pretty steadfast in its support,” York says. “There’s obviously criticisms to be made about speed and volumes of the aid but generally there has been assistance.” A victory for Donald Trump could lead to a dramatic decline in the aid that is offered to Ukraine which would have disastrous effects for its defence.
“It’s 33C here, gloriously sunny, people are walking the streets and drinking coffee in the parks. You couldn’t ever tell from the surface that something so horrific happened here two days ago,” York says. In one way it’s a “great example of the Ukrainian resilience you always hear about”, but it also exposes “the tragic reality of trying to live as normal a life as possible when Russia is your neighbour”.
What else we’ve been reading
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Did Jimi Hendrix really introduce parakeets to Britain? Invasion biology professor Tim Blackburn ponders that and more – including whether the species is in danger. Hannah J Davies, deputy editor, newsletters
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Despite the mountains of evidence showing how traumatising it is, child marriage remains legal in 37 US states. Alaina Demopoulos spoke with survivors who are trying to outlaw the practice. Nimo
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This FT story (£) about the Taylor Swift fans cashing in with homemade jewellery has some very snazzy pictures. Hannah
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It is no secret that public transport in England has seen better days. Gwyn Topham takes a look at the top transport issues that Labour is going to need to tackle head on. Nimo
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Roast summer veg. Blue cheese sauce. Courtesy of Nigel Slater. If that’s not enough to get your mouth watering, I don’t know what is. Hannah
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Sport
Euro 2024 | The 16-year-old Lamine Yamal scored an outrageous first for Spain before Dani Olmo’s shot was deflected in to deliver a 2-1 comeback win over France and put the Spaniards into the final.
Tennis | Jasmine Paolini, pictured, became the first Italian woman to reach a Wimbledon semi-final with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory over the American Emma Navarro. Croatian Donna Vekic won 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 against Lulu Sun to make the Wimbledon last four. The world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz recovered for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory against Tommy Paul and, like in 2023, will play Daniil Medvedev who won his quarter-final 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 against Jannik Sinner.
Cycling | Jasper Philipsen, of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, finally found his sprinting legs in the 10th stage of the Tour de France, from Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond, taking the win ahead of Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay.
The front pages
“Starmer calls on Nato to raise defence spending” says the Guardian while the Daily Telegraph has “PM could boost size of armed forces”. “Starmer is ‘playing with fire’ on defence spending” is the take in the Times where former military leaders say an increase should not have to wait until after a review of Britain’s forces. “Cleverly: Labour has hung a huge ‘open’ sign on White Cliffs of Dover” – the opposition is getting plenty of mileage in the Daily Express these days for some reason. “Thames Water boss takes £195k bonus – as firm asks for 59% bill hikes and dumps double raw sewage” – that’s an unpleasant mouthful in the i. Top story in the Financial Times is “Dyson deals blow to Labour’s growth strategy by axing quarter of UK staff”. “Bond of brothers” – the Daily Mirror also gets ready for England’s Euro semi-final. “It’s now or nether!” – as in the Netherlands – not sure that works quite as intended, Metro. The Daily Mail splashes on “Britain’s most despicable drink-driver” who killed a baby and the little boy’s aunt in a crash – he has been sentenced to jail for more than 17 years.
Today in Focus
Joe Biden and the Democrats’ dilemma
Since Biden’s poor performance in first TV debate against Donald Trump, his place on the ballot has been under threat. Joan E Greve reports
Cartoon of the day | Martin Rowson
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The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
A theatre credited with launching the careers of some Coronation Street stars and where showbiz greats such as Charlie Chaplin once trod the boards has been saved, after a successful campaign led by the actor Julie Hesmondhalgh. Oldham’s historic Coliseum theatre, which is more than 135 years old and has been shuttered since last spring, faced issues including asbestos and was described by the council as “no longer fit for purpose”. A smaller new-build to replace the Coliseum caused an outcry among residents and entertainers including Suranne Jones and Maxine Peake, forcing the council to proceed with a restoration.
“It was a real shock when we found out the council had listened to us,” Hesmondhalgh told BBC Breakfast, “because it shows that with passion and persistence, you can change the world. People power.” It is expected to reopen by Christmas 2025, with, naturally, a pantomime as its first post-makeover production.
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