In the pre-dawn darkness of Kharkiv, where newborn cries usually mark life’s most beautiful beginnings, terror swept through a maternity hospital as a Russian drone attack struck without warning on Friday.
The piercing sound of sirens was followed by a shattering explosion that blew out the windows of the facility, scattering shards of glass across beds, delivery rooms, and the tiny cribs of infants just hours into life.
Inside, mothers clutched their babies, rushing to shelter as debris rained around them. Among them was Oleksandra Lavrynenko, who had just given birth to her son Maksym.
“We woke up and heard a very loud whistle,” she recounted, visibly shaken. “My husband and I got up and quickly went to our little one, and at that moment there was a hit — the windows shattered. It was terrifying.”
With her one-day-old baby pressed to her chest, Oleksandra ran for safety, ignoring her fresh stitches and the pain. “I was so full of adrenaline I forgot everything. Now, I’m slowly coming to terms with what happened.” She paused, gently stroking her son’s head. “It’s so difficult and frightening to bring life into the world in a time like this.”
The hospital, meant to be a sanctuary, had glass scattered across its corridors and wards. Staff moved swiftly to relocate patients as part of the building — including crucial delivery and surgical areas — was left damaged.
“This is not just an attack on a building. It’s an attack on mothers, on newborns, on life itself,” said Dr. Oleksandr Kondriatskyi. “Some of these women had just undergone surgery. Everyone — patients and staff — is in deep shock.”
The regional prosecutor reported that three women and three newborns required immediate medical and psychological care due to the trauma.
This is not an isolated incident. Kharkiv — Ukraine’s second-largest city — has been under relentless fire in recent weeks, with intensified missile and drone attacks from Russian forces.
The regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, confirmed that Friday’s strikes left at least nine people injured in the city, with additional damage to residential buildings. One person lost their life, and five more were hurt in separate attacks across the region.
For those in Kharkiv, the message is clear: even the most sacred spaces are no longer safe. And yet, even under fire, life continues to fight for its place.
