Nigerian Medical Student Killed In Russian Airstrike Hours Before Graduation Ceremony

Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting

A 23-year-old Nigerian medical student, Nnani Adaobi Marian, has died after sustaining critical injuries in a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, just days before her scheduled graduation from medical school.

Marian, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, was injured on June 29 when Russian forces reportedly carried out aerial bomb attacks on the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv.

In a statement, the university confirmed that she sustained severe injuries in the attack and was initially treated in Kharkiv before being transferred to Germany for specialised medical care.

Despite intensive treatment efforts by medical teams in both countries, she later died from her injuries.

Her death adds to the growing number of civilian casualties reported in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“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 institution described Marian as an outstanding student who enrolled in 2020 and consistently demonstrated academic excellence throughout her studies.

It noted that she actively pursued professional development through international internships, including programmes at University of Cambridge in 2024 and Biruni University in 2025, where she further developed her medical skills and participated in scientific research.

The university also remembered her as a bright, hardworking and compassionate individual who was passionate about helping others.

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

The two students were expected to receive their medical degrees the following day.

While Huseynova was killed in the attack, Marian sustained critical injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment.

The June 29 bombardment reportedly killed 14 people across several Ukrainian regions and injured dozens more, with one of the bombs exploding on a roadway in Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskyi district.