Tears as Russia Kills Nigerian Medical Graduate in Ukraine Days Before Graduation
- Nigerian medical student Nnani Adaobi Marian died from serious injuries after a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv
- Ukraine reported an interceptor missile shortage as Russia launches large-scale attacks on Kyiv, the country's capital
- Russia accused Ukraine of rejecting a ceasefire offer while tensions escalate in Kostiantynivka, a city in Eastern Ukraine
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering education in Nigeria and Africa.
Kharkiv, Ukraine - Nnani Adaobi Marian, a final-year medical graduate at the Kharkiv National Medical University (KNMU), has reportedly died after suffering injuries from a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
As reported on Monday, July 6, by The Punch, this was disclosed by Kateryna Bohuslavska, also known as “Kate from Kharkiv,” a social media personality has often shared updates on the ongoing war between her country and Russia.
Source: Twitter
The Cable also noted the update, which caused sadness among Nigerian social media users.
According to Bohuslavska, the incident, which happened on Monday, June 29, 2026, involved the 23-year-old undergraduate, who was fatally wounded alongside her friend, Fatima Huseynova, while heading to a graduation photoshoot the day before they were set to receive their diplomas. Russian forces had reportedly dropped aerial bombs on the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv, causing Marian and others’ deaths. She was said to have died in Germany while receiving treatment.
Taking to her X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, July 5, while sharing the picture of the late Nigerian student, Bohuslavska wrote:
“Nnani Adaobi Marian, a 23-year-old who was injured during a Russian strike on Kharkiv, has passed away in Germany.
“The graduate of the Kharkiv National Medical University sustained severe injuries on June 29 during a guided aerial bomb attack on Kharkiv.”
She added:
“Medical professionals in both Kharkiv and Germany fought to save her life, but unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries.”
Read an X post from Bohuslavska on the incident below:
Things to know about slain Marian Adaobi
- Adaobi was due to graduate in 2026.
- Adaobi was born on April 24, 2003.
- The Kharkiv National Medical University (KNMU) paid tribute to her memory, remembering her as a compassionate, hard-working, and exceptionally bright individual with a strong desire to help others.
- Adaobi passed away on Sunday, July 5, in a hospital in Germany after suffering injuries from the Russian airstrike targeted at Ukrainians.
- She completed her internships at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and at Biruni University in Turkey in 2025.
- The deceased began her medical studies in 2020 and successfully completed the international academic programmes in 2026.
Ukraine warns of interceptor missile shortage
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force has said a "serious shortage" of interceptor missiles meant none of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia at Kyiv on Sunday night, July 5, were shot down.
At least 15 people were killed in the second large-scale Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital in a week, officials said. Seven more were killed in the wider Kyiv region.
It was another frightening night for people in the capital, with loud explosions and the boom of Ukraine's air defences in action, the BBC noted.
Widespread destruction was visible on Monday morning, July 6. Three large blocks of flats in the city have partially collapsed; some were hit directly by missiles.
Russia says Ukraine rejects local ceasefire
Similarly, Russia’s Defence Ministry has accused Ukraine of refusing to halt the shelling of the eastern city of Kostiantynivka to allow Moscow to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
The ministry said on Sunday, July 5, that it had proposed a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday, July 6, to facilitate the handover and had given Kyiv until 0900 GMT on Sunday, July 5, to respond.
The Russian claim is the latest salvo in the verbal battle over Kostiantynivka. Russia said on Friday that its forces had taken control of the city, a target Moscow has long sought in its advance through the Donetsk region.
Per Al Jazeera, Ukraine denied the city had fallen, saying its forces remained in control.
The renewed, full-scale phase of the Russia-Ukraine war has been ongoing since February 24, 2022, when Russian forces launched a major invasion across Ukraine's borders. This marked a severe escalation of the broader Russo-Ukrainian conflict that had already begun in February 2014.
Read more on Ukraine-Russia war
- Ukrainian forces capture Nigerian fighting for Russia in trending cideo: "this isn’t a movie plot"
- US unveils sweeping sanctions targeting Russia over Ukraine war
- Ukraine relies on friends as Russia strikes power grid
Nigerian fighting for Russia captured
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Kehinde Oluwagbemileke, a Nigerian man fighting for the Russian military in the ongoing war with Ukraine, was captured by the Ukrainian forces.
According to Ukraine’s 'I Want to Live' project, Oluwagbemileke was apprehended by the Freedom of Russia Legion, a unit composed of Russian fighters supporting Ukraine.
Aged 29, the Nigerian prisoner was captured in the Zaporizhzhia region after serving with Russian forces for five months.
Source: Legit.ng
