A 23-year-old Nigerian medical student, Marian Nnani, has died after suffering injuries in a Russian airstrike in Ukraine. She passed away on Sunday while receiving treatment for wounds sustained in the attack.
The attack occurred in Kharkiv, just days before Marian was reportedly due to graduate.
Marian, a student at Kharkiv National Medical University, was injured on June 29 when Russian forces struck the Kholodnohirskyi district with guided aerial bombs.
According to Fellow Nurses Africa, an independent platform that educates, informs and supports nurses across the continent, Marian’s close friend, 23-year-old Fatima Huseynova, who was also a student at the university, was killed instantly in the attack.
Reports published by Fellow Nurses Africa and SPRAVDI–Stratcom Centre on Monday stated that Marian died on Sunday at a hospital in Germany, where she had been transferred for specialist treatment after receiving initial medical care in Kharkiv.
According to the reports, Kharkiv National Medical University confirmed Marian’s death on Sunday.
The university described her as “a dedicated, talented and compassionate student” who began studying medicine at the institution in 2020.
It noted that she participated in international academic programmes, including internships at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and Turkey’s Beruni University in 2025, where she expanded her medical knowledge and research experience.
The university further stated, “Her death is another reminder that Russia’s war continues to claim the lives of civilians from around the world who came to Ukraine to study, work and build their futures.”
It added, “Kharkiv National Medical University extends its deepest condolences to Marian’s family, friends and classmates. Her memory will forever remain an integral part of our university community.”