Moscow: The Russian army said that the attack on a children's hospital in the coastal city of Mariupol, which killed three people, including a child and sparked an international outcry, was a "planned provocation" by Ukraine.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov stated, "There were absolutely no missions to hit ground targets in the Mariupol area." 

"The supposed airstrike was a perfectly orchestrated provocation to maintain anti-Russian frenzy for a Western audience," he stated.

According to the Mariupol Mayor, the maternity hospital bombing resulted in three deaths, one of which was a kid. On Wednesday, Ukrainian police reported that 17 individuals had been hurt.

On February 24th, Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched hundreds of troops to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Canada has rejected Canadian media reports that Russia attacked Maripoul Hospital in Ukraine, killing three people and injuring 17 others.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Canada will welcome as many individuals as possible who are fleeing the violence-hit Ukraine.

Trudeau stated that his administration is speeding up immigration procedures to allow refugees to arrive in Canada as quick as possible. He promises that when they arrive in Canada, they will be able to study and work.

Russian airstrike destroys maternity, children's hospital in Mariupol.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, there are still adults and kids under the rubble. The number of victims is yet unknown, local authorities report.

Video: Mariupol City Council pic.twitter.com/dBGWRzEQrw

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 9, 2022