Russian airstrike kills Nigerian medical graduate in Ukraine

A Nigerian medical graduate, Nnani Adaobi Marian, has died from injuries she sustained during a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, days after doctors in Ukraine and Germany battled unsuccessfully to save her life.

The death was announced on Monday in a statement published on the Facebook page of the Kharkiv National Medical University, where Marian studied medicine.

The university said she died on July 5 after suffering severe injuries in what it described as “enemy shelling.”

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Nnani Adaobi Marian, a graduate of the Kharkiv National Medical University,” the university said.

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According to the statement, Marian was critically injured during the attack, prompting emergency treatment in Kharkiv before she was transferred to Germany for further care.

“She was seriously injured as a result of enemy shelling. Doctors fought for her life until the last moment: first in Kharkiv, and later in Germany.

“Everyone sympathised, helped and hoped for her recovery, but, unfortunately, despite all the efforts of the doctors, she could not be saved,” the university said.

The institution said Marian enrolled at the Kharkiv National Medical University in 2020 and distinguished herself academically throughout her studies.

It described her as “a capable, responsible and persistent student who studied conscientiously and demonstrated high academic results.”

The university added that she consistently pursued professional development through international academic programmes, including internships at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and Biruni University in Türkiye in 2025, where she improved her professional skills and engaged in scientific research.

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office also confirmed her death, saying doctors had fought tirelessly to save her.

According to Ukrainian authorities, Marian sustained fatal injuries during a Russian strike on Kharkiv on June 29.

Her death came amid continued Russian attacks on Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian officials said the strikes have repeatedly targeted civilian areas and critical infrastructure.

Russia has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians, while Ukraine and several international organisations have accused Moscow of committing war crimes during the conflict.

Marian’s death was also reported alongside that of 23-year-old Azerbaijani graduate Fatima Huseynova, who was killed in the same June 29 strike while returning to Kharkiv to collect her diploma.

Ukrainian authorities said another person accompanying Huseynova sustained serious injuries.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering Europe’s largest armed conflict since the Second World War.

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