- A Ukrainian mother saved her 6-week-old baby by shielding her from an explosion in Kyiv.
- Olga, 27, sustained multiple cuts but her daughter was unharmed barring some small scratches and bruises.
- The family spoke to Reuters from the hospital and described the harrowing experience.
A Ukrainian mother shielded her 6-week old baby from an explosion of shrapnel in Kyiv last week, sustaining several deep cuts in the process of saving her child's life.
Photos of the family being treated at a hospital in the aftermath of the attack show 27-year-old Olga holding her baby close to her chest with her head bandaged and her face covered in cuts. Her partner can be seen being treated for a leg injury.
The graphic images spread quickly online, highlighting the ever-growing human toll of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing assault in Ukraine. The country's capital Kyiv remains a frequent target of attacks as Russian forces aim to take the city.
In a Reuters interview published Sunday, Olga described the harrowing moment that shrapnel and glass began to fly across the room following an explosion on Friday morning.
The mother, who did not provide her last name, told the outlet that she had just woken up to bathe and feed her daughter, Victoria. Olga was sitting with Victoria up against her knees, covered by a blanket when the explosion rang out.
"That's what kept the baby alive," she told Reuters. "I just got her covered in time."
She said her partner, Dmytro, who had been sleeping, then jumped into action and covered the mother and child.
"I didn't wake up from the explosion. I woke up from Olga's screaming, and the sound of cracking glass as it shattered," Dmytro said. "I didn't even hear the explosion, because the sound of the glass was much louder."
Olga said her head was injured in the attack and began dripping blood onto her baby.
"I couldn't understand, I thought it was her blood," she told Reuters.
As Dmytro took Victoria, Olga said she started screaming that her daughter had been injured.
"Olga, it's your blood — it's not hers," she said Dmytro responded.
On Friday, The Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv posted about the family on social media, saying they were admitted that morning for injuries related to an explosion near their home. The hospital said doctors treated Dmytro's leg and removed "multiple fragments" that were stuck in Olga's body via surgery.
Olga's quick thinking saved her daughter from being harmed in the explosion beyond some scratches and bruises, Reuters reported.
According to the hospital's post, Dmytro said he and Olga heard heavy shelling the previous night that kept coming closer and closer until it eventually hit a building near their five-story house that morning.
"When I went outside, I saw that the shell hit a kindergarten near our house. There are no more ceilings, and the houses nearby don't have windows and doors anymore. The pieces of the glass flew straight at us," Dmytro said, according to the hospital.
Ukrainian officials have said at least 60 civilians have been killed in Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine late last month.