A doctor who specialised in treating cancer in children was killed by a Russian missile that hit Ukraine's capital on Monday morning.
Oksana Leontieva got her five-year-old son Gregory dressed, took him to school and then got in her car and headed to work before she was brutally killed by one of the 84 missiles that Russia fired.
Ohmatdyt Hospital, the pediatric medical centre where she worked, confirmed the details of her death in a statement on Tuesday.
“This young woman was a true professional and supporter of her patients and colleagues,” the hospital wrote. “She was a selfless and responsible person and doctor.”
They said her car burned to the ground in the centre of Kyiv and Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, said Gregory's father had also died six months ago, but did not say how.
Gregory has now been left orphaned and in the care of his grandfather.
Ms Leontieva had worked in Okhmatdyt’s bone marrow transplant unit for 11 years, saving the lives of children with blood cancer.
“Every day, Oksana saved children with cancer, gave happiness to parents and life to children. Her life was cut short by terrorists who daily destroy our country and kill civilians,” Kateryna Zahorna, her colleague, wrote on Facebook.
She continued: "There are no words or strength to express the depth of sadness and the strength of hatred for these inhumans."
The strike that killed the doctor was part of a barrage of missiles fired by Russian forces which caused brutal death and destruction in cities across Ukraine.
It was one of the biggest attacks since the war broke out in February, killing at least 19 and injuring around 90.
At least five people, including Ms Leontieva, were killed in Kyiv on Monday, and the 14 others elsewhere.
Yurii Zaskoka, the head of the Kyiv police force’s cybersecurity department, was another one of the victims who also died while driving to work, said Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior ministry.
A crowdfunding appeal was launched after the attacks and has raised $9.6m (£8.7m) in 24 hours for the purchase of kamikaze drones for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Serhii Sternenko, an activist who co-founded the crowdfunding exercise, said: “Crowdfunding campaigns make our defence stronger; we, the people, help the Ukrainian army. But we still need more weapons from our allies to stop this terror and the crime of genocide Russia commits daily in this European country.”
Out of 83 Russian (and Iranian imported) missiles fired, 45 were shot down but if Ukraine had more and better air defence systems then the deaths would have been avoided.
Ukraine is seeking more advanced air defence and anti-missile systems from western nations to counter any repeat of Monday's brutal attack.
