Injured children and destroyed dreams: Russia's war on Ukraine's future
4 May 2024 14:21
Russians don't care where their bombs and rockets fall. The most important thing is to instigate fear among the Ukrainians. This time, a room used by young athletes was bombed. Unfortunately, there are injured people.
The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over two years with no signs of a quick resolution. Russians do not intend to withdraw and are employing tactics meant to coerce Ukrainians into ending the conflict on their terms. The terror continues, and bomb alarms have become a daily reality for Ukrainians.
Russian soldiers don't care where their bombs fall. It's sadly commonplace for these attacks to target civilian objects, including critical infrastructure. There have been cases where bombs fell on hospitals. Sports facilities are also being targeted.
They didn't know a bomb would fall
Since the war's outset, many stadiums and halls, which Ukrainian athletes used daily, have been destroyed. The public has just learned about another such attack, this time in the village of Derkachy in the Kharkiv region.
A KAB-500 aerial bomb was dropped on the sports hall. It weighs over half a ton, with the mass of the explosive material alone being nearly 400 kilograms (around 880 pounds). Miraculously, a tragedy was avoided, as it fell when the facility was in regular use, including by children and youth from a local karate club.
The matter was so serious that the air-raid alarm went unnoticed. The director of the fitness club found out about the raid online, but by then, it was too late for an evacuation.
Fortunately, there are no fatalities. However, injuries have occurred. Ukrainian media reported that six children were injured, with four of them sustaining moderate injuries. The remaining children have minor injuries. It's also known that a 75-year-old man was injured.
Ukrainians continuously count the losses their sports are suffering due to Russian aggression. Since the war began, over 500 different sports facilities have been destroyed. To rebuild everything, more than £270 million would be needed.
Moreover, the casualties include those connected with sports in various ways. Hundreds of athletes, officials, or fans have lost their lives during the war.
