By Emmanuel Nduka
A 23-year-old Nigerian medical graduate, Nnani Adaobi Merian, has died after succumbing to injuries sustained in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, nearly a week after the attack.
Merian, a graduate of Kharkiv National Medical University, was injured during the June 29 bombardment and initially received treatment in Kharkiv before being transferred to Germany, where she later died.
The university announced her death in a Facebook post on Sunday, expressing grief over the loss of one of its graduates.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Nnani Adaobi Marian, a graduate of the National Medical University, Kharkiv,” the institution said.
According to the university, she “suffered serious injuries as a result of enemy shelling.”
“Doctors to the last fought for her life: first in Kharkiv, and later in Germany,” the statement said. “Everyone sympathised, helped and hoped for recovery, but unfortunately, despite all the efforts of the doctors, she could not be saved.”
The university described Merian, who enrolled in 2020, as a dedicated and high-achieving student throughout her years of study.
“She recommended herself as a capable, responsible and persistent student who honestly studied and demonstrated high academic results,” the institution added.
Her death highlights the continuing human toll of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives and affected foreign nationals living and studying in the country since the conflict escalated in 2022.
