On St. Nicholas Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Okhmatdyt National Specialized Children's Hospital, particularly the department where children are treated for mine-blast injuries caused by Russian aggression.
Anastasia, 16, from Chornobaivka, Victoria, 14, from Kherson, and Alina, 16, from Mykolaiv, were injured during shelling when enemy shells hit their homes. The girls have already undergone amputations and surgeries and are now awaiting prosthetics and continuing rehabilitation.
Three-year-old Oleksandra from Sumy was also at home when a ballistic missile hit her house. Doctors had to amputate three of her fingers. Her father, a police officer, is also receiving treatment, after being injured in his legs by a second “Shahed” drone hit while clearing the rubble at the Sumy Regional Clinical Hospital.
The President spoke with the children, their parents, and doctors. He congratulated the young patients on the holiday and wished them speedy healing and recovery.
According to the doctors, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, they have already treated 126 children injured as a result of the Russian aggression.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited patients in the bone marrow transplantation department, the youngest of whom is only seven months old.
“Today is Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day and St. Nicholas Day. I have the pleasure of congratulating you on this holiday. I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery. I wish us to see your smiles,” he said.
The Head of State discussed with the young patients their well-being and dreams. They shared their personal stories of fighting for life. In particular, the donor for seven-year-old Roman from Kurakhove, who lost his mother, was his brother, a serviceman. The warrior came from the front for this purpose and later returned to defend Ukraine.
The children presented Volodymyr Zelenskyy with their drawings, recited poems, and received gifts on the occasion of St. Nicholas Day.
