On July 15, 2022, Russian forces carried out missile strikes against Sukhomlynskyi Mykolaiv National University and the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding. The attacks damaged the universities’ facilities as well as nearby shops and buildings. According to reports, at least four people have been injured.

In a Twitter post, Vitaliy Kim, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, stated that at least 10 missiles struck the university complexes. In an attached video, large explosions can be seen.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the military targeting of university facilities in armed conflict. Parties to a conflict may only attack legitimate military targets; where a party suspects that a civilian facility — such as a university building — is being used for military purposes, that party has a duty to take every action practicable to verify that this suspicion is correct before initiating an attack. In the event of such an attack, parties must take all practicable precautions to avoid or minimize damage to civilian facilities. Further, parties must refrain from launching attacks which may be expected to cause disproportionate damage to civilian facilities.

Sources:
https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/crisi_in_ucraina_la_russia_il_donbass_i_video/mykolaiv-i-missili-russi-colpiscono-le-principali-universita-della-citta/420845/421781
https://www.lanacion.com.ar/agencias/ucrania-denuncia-ataques-rusos-contra-dos-universidades-en-la-ciudad-de-mikolaiv-nid15072022/
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/15/world/two-universities-mykolaiv-hit-by-russian-missile-strikes-ukraine-points-civilian-casualties-vinnytsia-attack/
https://twitter.com/vitalij_kim/status/1547819048926208001