On the night of November 3, 2026, Russia launched one of the largest-scale attacks on Ukraine in recent times, employing ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Explosions rocked the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, and other regions. Among the damaged facilities in Dnipro is a hospice where elderly and terminally ill people receive palliative care. This was announced by city mayor Borys Filatov on his Telegram channel, where he published footage from the scene.
“I Know I Am Violating Ethics”
In his appeal, the mayor of Dnipro admitted that publishing photographs of the destroyed hospice goes beyond the bounds of his usual communication ethics. “Unlike certain ‘figures’, I have never allowed myself to PR on the sick and wounded,” Filatov emphasized. At the same time, he stated that he wants these images to be seen by “as many people as possible, especially politicians and diplomats,” emphasizing that the purpose of the publication is to draw international attention to the consequences of strikes on civilian medical facilities.
Scale of the Night Attack
As of the morning of November 3, a hospital, a residential neighborhood, and a police station were damaged in Dnipro as a result of the Russian strike; there are casualties among the civilian population. In Kharkiv, a missile strike hit a medical facility, injuring at least 73 people. Overall, strikes were recorded in at least six regions, indicating the systemic nature of the attack targeting healthcare infrastructure and residential areas.
Context: US Election Day
The night attack coincided with the date of the presidential election in the United States. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named the main goal of the massive Russian strike carried out precisely on this day. Experts link the choice of date to Moscow's attempt to put pressure on the international community at a time when the attention of world capitals is focused on the American elections, as well as to destabilize the situation before the formation of the new American leadership.
What Is Known About the Consequences for the Hospice
The photographs published by the mayor document damage to the hospice's structures — elements of the facade and interior rooms where patients receiving palliative care are housed have been destroyed. The exact number of casualties among the residents and staff of the hospice was not disclosed at the time of publication. Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat earlier commented on the features of this night attack, pointing out the combination of various types of weapons and targeting of critical infrastructure objects.
Systemic Logic of Strikes on Medicine
The strike on the hospice in Dnipro and the medical facility in Kharkiv on the same night continues a line that Kyiv and international observers qualify as systemic attacks on medical infrastructure. Earlier, XAB.info analysts explained why Kyiv and Dnipro remain in the focus of Russian strikes and what this means for the operation of hospitals and the emergency assistance schedule in the winter period. The publication of photographs by Mayor Filatov is a rare case where the head of the city consciously steps outside the format of restrained reporting to document a violation of international humanitarian law against a vulnerable category of citizens.
