Nnani Adaobi Merian Dies in Germany After Russian Glide Bomb Strike on Kharkiv

A 23-year-old graduate of Kharkiv National Medical University, Nnani Adaobi Merian, has died in Germany after sustaining critical injuries in a Russian glide bomb strike on Kharkiv on June 29, the university announced on July 6.

According to Kharkiv National Medical University and the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Merian was initially treated in Kharkiv before being transferred to Germany for specialized medical care. She died on July 5 despite continued treatment.

The attack occurred in Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskyi district, where a Russian guided aerial bomb struck a roadway. According to Ukrainian authorities, one person was killed at the scene and at least 10 others were injured.

The person killed immediately was 23-year-old Fatima Huseynova, also a student at Kharkiv National Medical University. University officials said both women had returned to Kharkiv to receive their diplomas after continuing their studies remotely from Germany following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Their graduation ceremony was scheduled for June 30.

According to Kharkiv National Medical University, Merian enrolled in the institution in 2020 and participated in international academic programs during her studies, including placements at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and Türkiye’s Biruni University in 2025.

Merian’s cousin, Yeyiche Amanda Uchechi, told Suspilne on July 2 that the graduate had suffered burns covering approximately 90% of her body, severe eye injuries, burns to her respiratory tract, an amputated leg, and multiple shrapnel wounds.

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Kharkiv National Medical University said medical teams in both Ukraine and Germany attempted to save her life but she died from her injuries.

According to Suspilne, faculty representatives said Merian and Huseynova were on their way to a graduation photo session when the strike occurred after becoming lost while looking for the entrance to a photography studio.

The death of Merian comes amid continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. On July 6, Russia launched another large-scale missile and drone strike on Kyiv, killing at least 13 people, including a family of three after a residential building collapsed in the Podilskyi district.

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