Ukrainian maternity ward moves to basement for shelter

By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV
Associated Press

MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — A hospital basement in Ukraine’s coastal city of Mariupol has transformed into a bomb shelter and maternity ward amid shelling during Russia’s invasion. Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday. Hospital workers bundled a newborn and carried him down flights of stairs to the improvised shelter and nursery. Sheltering in the basement, 30-year-old Kateryna Suharokova became emotional talking about her son’s birth. She says she was very anxious about giving birth given the conditions but is thankful to the doctors. The hospital also received shelling casualties, including the body of a young man on a stretcher.