Newborn baby dies in Russian strike on Ukrainian maternity ward

Rescuers at the site of a maternity ward at a hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack in Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. Reuters

A newborn baby died in the strike in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, emergency services said on Wednesday. Reuters

Rescuers remove rubble from the site of the strike on the maternity ward. Reuters

Rescuers work at the site of a maternity ward of a hospital destroyed by a Russian missile attack, as their attack on Ukraine continues, in Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 23, 2022 in this still image from video. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.

The baby was killed when the building collapsed after the rocket attack. Reuters

A newborn baby died in a Russian strike on a maternity ward in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, emergency services said on Wednesday.

The baby was killed when the building collapsed after a rocket attack, Ukrainian rescuers said on social media.

"On the night of November 23, in the city of Vilniansk in Zaporizhzhia region, as a result of a rocket attack on the territory of the local hospital, the two-storey building of the maternity ward was destroyed," they said, adding that "as a result of the attack, a baby born in 2022 died".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of bringing "terror and murder" to the country with the strike on the maternity ward.

"The enemy has once again decided to try to achieve with terror and murder what it wasn't able to achieve for nine months and won't be able to achieve," Mr Zelenskyy said on social media.

"Instead, it will only be held to account for all the evil it has brought to our country," he added.

Meanwhile, the UK will send helicopters to Ukraine for the first time since the war began, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed.

Mr Wallace said it will be the first time piloted aircraft will be sent to the war-torn nation since Russia's invasion.

Reports suggest three Sea King helicopters will be provided, the first of which has already arrived in Ukraine.

Mr Wallace, who made the announcement from Oslo where he is meeting allies to discuss ongoing military support for Kyiv, said that the UK will also send an additional 10,000 artillery rounds.

The announcement comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to Ukraine at the weekend set out a new £50 million package of defence aid, which included 125 anti-aircraft guns and equipment to counter drones supplied by Iran.

Britain’s military intelligence said Russia has probably nearly exhausted its current stock of Iran-made drones and will seek resupply.

“Since September, Russia has likely launched hundreds of Iranian-manufactured uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) against Ukraine,” said the ministry, in its daily intelligence update on Twitter.

“These have been a mixture of one way attack UAVs and more traditional reusable armed systems.

“Russia has largely used these weapons against tactical military targets and the Ukrainian electricity grid.”

The ministry said Russia probably began the UAV campaign to make up for its “severe shortage of cruise missiles”, but the approach has had “limited success”.

Most UAVs launched have been neutralised, it said.

“No OWA UAVs strikes have been publicly reported since about November 17, 2022. Russia has [most] likely very nearly exhausted its current stock, but will probably seek resupply.

“Russia can probably procure UAVs from overseas more rapidly than it can manufacture new cruise missiles domestically,” the ministry said.