Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday accused the Ukrainian army of striking a hospital in the eastern Luhansk region, leaving 14 dead and injuring 24 others.On Saturday morning in the town of Novoaidar, "the Ukrainian armed forces deliberately attacked the building of a district hospital with rockets of a United States -made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system," the ministry said in a statement.The ministry added that 14 were killed and 24 wounded among the "hospital patients and medical staff."It said that the hospital has been providing "necessary medical assistance to the local population and military personnel for many months.""A deliberate missile strike on a known active civilian medical facility is, without doubt, a grave war crime by the Kyiv regime," the ministry said.Three people were killed and at least two others wounded following a Russian strike on the city of Konstantynivka in eastern Ukraine, the local governor saidearlier Saturday."The Russians fired at a residential neighborhood, damaged four multi-storey buildings, a hotel, garages and civilian cars," Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on social media."Three civilians were killed.
At least two were wounded," he added.Kyrylenko said rescue workers and police were at the scene, "helping people and carefully documenting yet another crime by the Russian occupiers on our land."Images posted on Kyrylenko's Telegram account showed apartment buildings with blown-out windows and debris scattered around the charred remains of a car.Almost a year into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is seeking to seize control of the entire Donetsk region, which it has already declared a part of Russia.Ukraine said this week that Russian troops had stepped up their attacks in the east, particularly on the towns of Vuhledar and Bakhmut.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday the situation on the front was "extremely acute," particularly in the Donetsk region.