Paramedic killed in Russian follow-up strike on Kyiv while treating victims
A 56-year-old paramedic was killed in a second Russian strike on Kyiv overnight into Friday, while providing aid to victims of an initial attack, according to Tetiana Mostepan, director of the Kyiv City State Administration's Health Department.
Three emergency medical teams came under fire while responding to calls during the overnight bombardment.
As medics treated the wounded, Russian forces launched a follow-up strike on the building. The attack killed Serhiy Smolyak, a 56-year-old paramedic with the Kyiv Municipal Enterprise “Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine.”
Three other medics were hospitalized, while several more received on-site treatment.
The Kakhovka urban territorial community, where Serhiy Smolyak was from, said that the man worked as a senior ambulance paramedic in Kakhovka for over 25 years. Later, he moved to Kyiv, where he continued to help people.
"He was not only a dedicated physician, but also a loving husband, father, and grandfather," the Kakhovka Urban Territorial Community added. The time and place of Serhiy Smolyak's burial will be announced later.
The man's death was also reported by the Minister of Health Viktor Lyashko and the Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine, where Serhiy worked.
"We lost a colleague tonight. Double-tap strike. […] It just hurts. This is the kind of pain that you can't get used to," the Center wrote.
The Kyiv State Emergency Service noted that emergency responders and medical personnel were among the victims in the Darnytskyi district, where they were working at the site of an initial strike when the secondary attack occurred.
The broader assault killed four people in the capital and injured more than 20, with power, heating and water disruptions reported in several districts.
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