A donated British ambulance is believed to have been blown up outside a children’s hospital in Mykolaiv in a Russian attack that killed at least one child and injured 66 other people in Ukraine.
Footage shows what appears to be a decommissioned vehicle sent by London Ambulance Service go up in smoke under heavy fire from Russian tanks, in the southern Ukrainian city that has been under siege.
It is yet another example of non-military targets that have been attacked by Vladimir Putin ’s invading army after atrocities came to light this week in cities on the outskirts of Kyiv that included claims of people being shot in the back of their head with their hands tied in Bucha.
Ambulances packed with medical equipment were driven by 26 volunteers from the UK to Ukraine last week.
Mykolaiv governor Vitaly Kim sarcastically suggested that the tanks were aiming at a robot that was put in the gardens of the children’s hospital for the benefit of the youngsters.
He said: "And then they were aiming at a super-modern robot on the territory of the hospital."
Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, Anna Zamazeeva, said on April 5 that the images showed "yesterday's attack on a secret medical facility - an ambulance substation."
She added: "The Russian occupiers yesterday again 'chaotically' fired rockets at Mykolaiv and Ochakov. But for some reason, most of the rockets flew to the area of hospitals, schools, nursery schools and residential areas...
"Unfortunately, yesterday, two children were injured from these shellings - a seven-year-old child in Ochakov and a fourteen-year-old child in Mykolaiv.
"Another child, unfortunately, died during the evening shelling. Sincere condolences to family and friends! We will never forgive the 'Russian world' for the suffering and death of our children! You will answer for everything!"
The siege of Mykolaiv began on the night of 26th February and is still ongoing.
The city is a strategically important shipbuilding centre on the Black Sea as it lies en route to Odesa, which holds important status in Russian culture and history and is believed to be coveted by the Kremlin.
Decommissioned ambulances are also being donated by South Central Ambulance Service with equipment to save hundreds of lives which have been collected by staff from bases across the south of England.
Further lorry loads of vital items are set to leave from a base in Didcot, Oxfordshire, on Saturday, reported the Express.
Kate Ellis, a paramedic team leader in Oxfordshire, said: "The response we have seen throughout the organisation has been incredible from the very start and we have now ramped it up further with the donation of medical supplies and equipment which we know are so desperately needed in the conflict zones.
"This will help to ensure people can receive care for up to 24 hours while they await emergency surgery in hospital, meaning there is the potential for this work to help save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.
"We estimate our volume of supplies will be able to supply one field hospital for up to two weeks and some of the equipment, such as the long boards and extrication devices, is of course reusable."
Will Hancock, chief executive of SCAS, said: "We are all extremely proud of this work to support those most in need.
"The resolve everyone has shown to not only keep delivering in the day job after such a tough time of late but also drive forward with this outstanding voluntary programme is truly amazing."
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement that its team witnessed Russian strikes during a visit on April 4 to a cancer hospital in Mykolaiv and managed to take cover and escape unharmed.
"Several explosions took place in close proximity to our staff over the course of about 10 minutes," said Michel-Olivier Lacharite, MSF head of mission in Ukraine.
"As they were leaving the area, the MSF team saw injured people and at least one dead body."
