23-year-old Nigerian medical doctor Adaobi Nnani dies in Russian airstrike in Ukraine

A 23-year-old Nigerian medical graduate, Adaobi Nnani has died following a Russian airstrike in Ukraine.

Adaobi died in a German hospital after sustaining a 90% burn on her body during the June 29 Russian strike on Kharkiv.

According to UKRAINSKA PRAVDA, the Kharkiv National Medical University confirmed that Adaobi is the second medical graduate to die from the strike.

The same Russian strike on Kharkiv earlier claimed the life of Fatima Ilyas Kizi, who was Adaobi’s close friend on the day of the incident, while Adaobi sustained a severe burn.

The two female students who came to Kharkiv from abroad to collect their diplomas were on their way to a graduation photo session when a Russian guided aerial bomb struck.

Adaobi and Fatima had been studying remotely and living in Azerbaijan since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

They travelled to Ukraine to collect their diplomas, with the graduation ceremony scheduled for 30 June 2026. 

23-year-old Nigerian medical doctor Adaobi Nnani dies in Russian airstrike in Ukraine