A Ukrainian mother and her baby have died after a maternity hospital in the war-torn country was bombed.
In a now-viral image, the mother is seen being carried on a stretcher following the air strike in Mariupol. In the bombing, which took place on Wednesday, at least three other people were killed, including a child. Many more were injured.
At least 1,207 people have died in the city since the Russian invasion began.
In recent days and weeks, we've seen horrific images coming out of the conflict. The image of this mother on the stretcher is one of the most heart-wrenching. It shows how the most vulnerable people are suffering and losing their lives.
The mother was desperately trying to stay alive. After the hospital was attacked, she was taken to another hospital. There, her baby was delivered via Cesarean section, but the baby was not breathing.
According to the Associated Press, the surgeon, Timur Marin, said that the mother's pelvis had been crushed and her hip detached during the attack. As medics worked to save her life, she began shouting, realizing that her baby was dying. "Kill me now," the grief-stricken mother told them.
The child was not able to be revived. Medics tried to resuscitate the mother for about 30 minutes before calling her death. The woman's husband and father came to retrieve her body before doctors could take her name.
The Russian embassy in London claimed the attack on the hospital had been faked. Twitter has removed tweets saying that the woman on the stretcher was just an actor.
Anders Östlund, a reporter, posted a tweet of the viral image. "Russia bombs the weakest members of society, the pregnant women and their newborns," he wrote in the caption.
"The enormity of the crimes committed by Russia in the war against Ukraine is hard to grasp. Photo from the Russian attack against a maternity clinic in Mariupol by @EMaloletka."
