Nnani Adaobi Marian, a 23-year-old Nigerian medical graduate, was killed by a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv only days before her graduation from Kharkiv National Medical University. Africans and Diaspora
Marian was seriously injured when Russian forces bombed Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskyi district from the air on 29 June, AFP reported. Marian had just completed her medical studies at the university.
The bombing was part of a bigger wave of attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv districts in which at least 14 people were killed and a further 98 injured, reports said.
The Nigerian student was apparently on her way to a graduation photoshoot with her friend, Fatima Huseynova, when one of the bombs went off in the district.
The two med students were due to graduate the next day.
Fatima died at the scene of the attack while Marian was left with life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital where medics fought to save her life.
“Medical teams in Kharkiv and Germany did everything possible to keep the Nigerian student alive, but she died from her injuries,” Kharkiv National Medical University stated in a statement. Africans & Diaspora
Nnani Adaobi Marian was critically wounded as a result of hostile bombardment. Doctors struggled for her life up until the last moment – first in Kharkiv, then 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 added.
Marian’s death was a devastating loss to the institution, the university said, adding that she had showed academic distinction and commitment throughout her medical studies.
The institution said Marian joined in 2020 and immediately established herself as a responsible, hard-working and brilliant student with consistently strong academic performance.
The institution stated she also aggressively explored ways to expand her professional expertise with foreign training and research beyond her classroom successes.
It said that she conducted internships at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and Biruni University in 2025, where she gained her clinical skills and took part in scientific research.
The facility also lauded her demeanour, characterising her as sensitive, pleasant and dedicated to assisting others.
“Nnani Adaobi Marian was a bright, sincere and kind hearted person. “She was easy to relate to and was characterised by her eagerness to learn, her diligence and her genuine desire to help others,” the statement stated.
The university said the academic community was mourning Marian’s death at a time when she was about to celebrate the successful completion of her medical study.
Fatima Huseynova was killed and Marian was badly injured when one of the Russian aerial bombs exploded on a roadway in Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskyi district, reports said. At least 12 other persons were wounded.
The death of Marian has contributed to the mounting civilian toll of the continuing Russia-Ukraine war that continues to take lives and affect the education and future prospects of pupils caught up in the conflict.
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