Russia Will Pay For War Crimes, Warns Javid, As The UK Delivers Aid To Ukraine

One of the health facilities attacked by Russian soldiers was a maternity and children's hospital in the southern city of Mariupol.

As Health Secretary Sajid Javid accused Russia of war crimes in bombing medical institutions, the UK deployed six more planeloads of medical assistance and equipment to Ukraine.

Since the invasion began, Mr Javid added, there have been more than 25 attacks on health centers and hospitals.

"This is a war crime, and Russia will be held accountable for the atrocities it is committing," he warned.

Russia has alleged that hospital bombings were staged, but has provided no proof to support this assertion.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a Thursday attack on a maternity and children's hospital in Mariupol, which killed three people, including a toddler, "depraved."

According to a Ministry of Defence intelligence briefing, several cities remain encircled by Russian forces and continue to be shelled heavily.

The majority of Russian ground forces are now 15 miles (25 kilometers) from Kyiv's center, according to the Ministry of Defense, while a massive armoured column appears to be dispersing in an attempt to surround the city.

"Russia needs to stop its aggressiveness," Mr Javid said during a visit to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

"This is a war that Russia launched, absolutely unprovoked and illegitimate," he said.

He said the World Health Organization had tallied more than 25 health facilities that Russian forces had targeted or hit, calling it "absolutely unacceptable."

Civilians and the infrastructure they rely on to survive cannot be deliberately attacked under the Geneva Conventions and other international agreements attempting to govern hostilities.

Following the shelling of civilian areas in multiple cities, the UK was one of 39 countries that submitted Russia to the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes war crimes, on March 3rd.

Mr Javid stated that additional medical help will be dispatched in the coming days, in addition to the six planeloads that have already been despatched.