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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Matt Strudwick

Month-old baby dies after catching pneumonia while family hid from Russian bombs

A month-old baby has died after catching pneumonia when his family sought shelter in the basement amid the Russian bombing of Kharkiv.

The little baby was born just 40 days ago in Kharkiv, according to Euromaidan Press, a team of independent journalists in Ukraine.

The parents took the newborn, named Amir, along with their other children into hiding in the basement where they stayed for several days as the country's second-largest city came under attack.

Heart-wrenching photos show the dead baby at a graveyard, wrapped in a blanket and being cradled by a man as the funeral takes place.

In a tweet, Euromaidan Press said: "Another minor victim of the Russian invasion was buried in Lviv yesterday.

"Tajik boy Amir was born forty days ago in Kharkiv. With the beginning of the Russian bombing, his parents, along with other children, were in the basement for several days.

Harrowing photo shows a man cradling the baby in his arms (facebook)
A man cradles the dead baby while standing in the grave (facebook)

"The child developed pneumonia, as a result of which he died when the whole family was evacuated from Kharkiv.

"The funeral ceremony was conducted by the Imam of Lviv Sheikh Murat Suleimanov."

Ukraine MP Inna Sovsun also took to Twitter to speak of the baby's death.

She wrote: "Amir was just 40 days old. He got pneumonia while hiding with his parents in a basement in #Kharkiv during the shellings by the #russian army. He died yesterday.

"I offer my condolences to Amir's family and the Kharkiv Muslim community. Putin is a criminal."

Ukraine journalist Kyrylo Loukerenko also wrote: "A funeral in Lviv. Lviv imam sheikh Murat Suleimanov held the burial rite on Friday.

"A Tadzhik boy was born in Kharkiv 40 days ago. The family spent many hours in shelter because of Russian air raids. He got pneumonia. After the family fled to Lviv, he died. His name was Amir."

Missiles and rockets have continuously rained down on Kharkiv for days, with 16 people killed before the opera house, concert hall and government offices were hit in Freedom Square.

Local authorities said at least 10 people were killed and 35 more were injured.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "This is the price of freedom. This is terror against Ukraine.

"There were no military targets in the square - nor are they in those residential districts of Kharkiv which come under rocket artillery fire."

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