Russian Airstrike Kills Nigerian Medical Graduate In Ukraine Days Before Graduation

Nnani Adaobi Marian, a 23-year-old Nigerian medical graduate of Kharkiv National Medical University, has died after sustaining severe injuries in a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, days before her graduation.

Reports indicate that Russian forces dropped aerial bombs on the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv on June 29, killing 14 people across the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions and injuring 98 lothers.

According to a statement issued by the university on Sunday, Marian sustained serious injuries in the attack and later died despite efforts by doctors in Kharkiv and Germany to save her life.

“As a result of enemy shelling, Nnani Adaobi Marian was seriously injured. 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, they could not save her,” the university said.

The university said Marian enrolled at the institution in 2020 and distinguished herself as a capable, responsible and hardworking student who consistently recorded high academic performance.

The institution added that she actively pursued professional development through international internships, including at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and Biruni University in 2025, where she improved her medical skills and engaged in scientific research.

The institution described her as a bright, sincere and kind-hearted person.

“Nnani Adaobi Marian was a bright, sincere and kind-hearted person. She easily found common ground with people and was distinguished by her thirst for knowledge, hard work and sincere desire to help others,” the statement reads.

Marian was reportedly travelling with her friend, Fatima Huseynova, for a graduation photoshoot when the airstrike occurred.

The pair were due to receive their medical degrees the next day.

Fatima was killed in the attack, while Marian sustained critical injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

One of the bombs reportedly exploded on a roadway in Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskyi district, injuring 12 other people.

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