After carnage in Kyiv: Russian missile identified children’s hospital attack

An analysis of open-source evidence and missile experts has identified a Russian-launched Kh-101 cruise missile as the weapon responsible for striking a children’s hospital in Kyiv, debunking claims from pro-Russian accounts that sought to blame Ukraine for the incident, according to Bellingcat.

The July 8 attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital killed two people and injured over 50 others, according to the hospital. The full toll of casualties remains uncertain, as some individuals are still reported to be trapped under rubble.

Following the strike, several social media accounts known for spreading disinformation — including the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — claimed the missile was American-made and had been launched by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile system.

However, an analysis conducted by Bellingcat using social media footage and a 3D model of the missile pointed to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. This conclusion aligns with experts such as Fabian Hoffman, a doctoral research fellow at the University of Oslo specializing in missile technology.

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear weapons and missile expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California, also concluded in an email to Bellingcat that footage of the attack showed a Kh-101 missile.

Bellingcat tested an alternative theory that the missile was a US-made AIM-120 but found no supporting evidence.

The hospital attack was part of a larger Russian missile barrage targeting civilian areas across Ukraine, including the city of Dnipro. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the attack began around 10:00 AM local time and involved at least 36 missiles, including 13 Kh-101 cruise missiles.

Analyzing the Missile Strike Footage

Shortly before noon, reports emerged of an explosion at the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. Video footage posted to Telegram captured the missile impact, showing distinct characteristics such as a jet engine at its rear and short wings near the middle, which are features of the Kh-101 cruise missile used exclusively by the Russian armed forces.

Missile Remnants

After the strike, the SBU released images of remnants from the munition that hit the hospital, stating that preliminary findings indicated it was a Kh-101. These images showed components such as a support spar and an engine panel, which matched documented remnants from previous Kh-101 strikes.

For example, the support spar and a yellow panel with the numbers “2983” matched those described in the 2022 Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces’ identification manual, detailing previous Kh-101 strikes.

The reference image from the manual provides a more complete look at the serial number on the engine cover, confirming the identification of the missile.

The evidence from Bellingcat and missile experts strongly indicates that the Kh-101 cruise missile, launched by Russian forces, was responsible for the devastating attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv.