The founder of a Malta-based aid organization was jogging a short distance away when a Russian missile struck a children’s hospital in Kiev on Monday morning.
“We were exercising in the park when the air raid sirens sounded, warning of an approaching air raid,” said Chris Catrambone.
“A few minutes later, we heard the Patriot batteries launching missiles to intercept the Russian missiles, and then we saw three or four explode in the air.”
More than 30 people were killed in the attack, and the death toll is expected to rise.
talk Malta’s time Catrambone, who was deployed from the Ukrainian capital just hours after the attack, described it as “one of the deadliest and most violent attacks in some time.”
Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system designed by the U.S. military to intercept enemy missiles and has been provided to Ukraine as it tries to repel a Russian invasion.
However, some of the missiles penetrated the city’s air defenses, causing people to panic and run for safety in search of shelter.
Among the buildings attacked was the Okhmatdit Children’s Hospital in the city center.
Catrambone said the attack was a stark reminder of the dangers the people of Kiev still face, even though Russian missiles have not been able to reach the city for quite some time.
“The city has been under attack for almost two and a half years, but this was probably the biggest one this year. It was a very intense, targeted attack.”
Catrambone and the non-governmental organization he leads, the Migrant Overseas Aid Station (MOAS), have been in Kiev since just before the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
“The people here are very resilient and continue to live their lives despite the war going on. Although Kiev is not on the front line, this incident once again brings back fears and concerns for families and civilians and shows that this war is looming again.”
In Ukraine, MOAS operates with 150 staff and more than 50 ambulances and is highly active, rescuing wounded soldiers and civilians on the front line.
Catrambone said he plans to stay in Kiev until the end of the war.
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