Russian Defense Ministry Says 14 Killed, 24 Injured After Kiev Shelled Hospital In LPR

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2023) The Ukrainian troops have hit a hospital in the Luhansk People's Repiblic's (LPR) Novoaidar from the US-made multiple rocket launcher system HIMARS, killing 14 people and injuring 24 others, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"On January 28, in the LPR's town of Novoaidar at about 7.30 a.m. local time (05:30 GMT), the Ukrainian armed forces deliberately hit the hospital building with multiple rocket launchers of the HIMARS system manufactured by the United States," the ministry said.

The ministry added that the strike killed 14 people and wounded 24 others, including the hospital's staff.

Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy has blamed the United States for the incident, saying that the use of the HIMARS rocket launchers was agreed by Washington, which made the US "directly complicit."

"Another Ukrainian heinous war crime. 14 civilians killed in a hospital by US-supplied missiles. And as we know from Ukrainian officials the targets of HIMARS are agreed by Washington. So it makes the US directly complicit. US taxpayers should be aware of how their money is used," Polyanskiy tweeted.

Ukraine's allies this week announced an international coalition to supply Kiev with more weapons, including battle tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery systems.

In April 2022, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev after Russia started its military operation in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.