Newspaper headlines: 'Barbaric' children's hospital bombing 'a new low'
- Published
Many of the front pages show an injured pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher outside the destroyed hospital in Mariupol in southern Ukraine.
"Aiming for mothers and babies" is the headline for the Times, which reports, external a large missile fired by a Russian jet missed the children's and maternity wards by just a few feet. Officials tell the paper there are no reported deaths, despite initial concern about people being trapped in rubble.
The Daily Telegraph reports that most of the pregnant women were hiding in the basement at the time of the strike, external.
There's outrage across the papers. "Depraved" is the Daily Mail's headline , external - the same word used by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to condemn the attack.
The Sun accuses, external Vladimir Putin of plumbing "sickening new depths", while the Daily Mirror describes, external the airstrike as "merciless" and "barbaric".
An editorial in the Daily Express, external says the images will last in the consciousness long after the awful events, shaming Russia for generations.
The Telegraph leads on fears among Western officials that Russia is preparing to use chemical or biological weapons, external. The paper says Mr Putin has become increasingly frustrated by the resistance mounted in Ukraine and may turn to extreme measures.
Analysts are reported to be seeing echoes of Moscow's tactics in Syria, where in 2015 the city of Douma was attacked with chemical weapons.
Conservative MP and former soldier Bob Seely tells the Telegraph such an attack in Ukraine would be disastrous, external. Chlorine and sarin gas are heavier than air, he explains, and will seep into basements and metro stations where civilians are sheltering.
Home Secretary Priti Patel is preparing to announce an expansion of the UK's visa scheme , externalfor Ukrainians, according to the Times.
The paper says Mr Johnson has piled pressure on Ms Patel after becoming frustrated about the low rate of refugees being given sanctuary. Under the scheme, about 7,000 Ukrainians would be allowed to bring in family members, although experts tell the paper the plan is merely "tinkering around the edges".
The Guardian has spoken to Ukrainian refugees in Calais, external who are struggling to secure visas now. One man explains how he made a 4,000 mile round trip from his home in Nottinghamshire to Ukraine to pick up his family, only to be turned away at the UK border by officials he claims were laughing.
The Sun has been to a UK processing centre in Poland where it says an 83 year-old woman was told to wait two weeks for a visa, external. "A shambles putting Britain to shame" is the paper's verdict. The government insists it's taken urgent action to process visas, while carrying out vital security checks.
The Financial Times says Mr Johnson has "paved the way" for a possible lifting of the ban, external on fracking for shale gas in England.
He's reported to have asked ministers to look again at whether shale gas can help meet the UK's energy needs, following Tuesday's announcement of plans to ban imports of oil from Russia. Shale gas exploration was suspended in 2019 following concerns about earthquakes.
