A 23-year-old Nigerian medical student, Nnani Adaobi Marian, has died after sustaining severe injuries in a Russian airstrike in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to reports from PUNCH Online and Kharkiv National Medical University.
Adaobi, a final-year medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University, was injured on June 29 when Russian forces reportedly launched guided aerial bombs on the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv. She was on her way to a graduation photoshoot with her friend, Fatima Huseynova, who was killed in the attack.
Despite receiving emergency treatment in Kharkiv before being transferred to Germany, Adaobi died on July 5 from her injuries.
The news was first shared by Kateryna Bohuslavska, popularly known as “Kate from Kharkiv”, who has regularly provided updates on the Russia-Ukraine war. She said Adaobi and Huseynova had travelled to Kharkiv for their graduation ceremony and were due to receive their medical degrees the following day.
In a tribute issued on Sunday, Kharkiv National Medical University described Adaobi as a talented, hardworking and compassionate student.
The university said she enrolled in 2020 and distinguished herself academically throughout her studies. She also completed international internships at the University of Cambridge in 2024 and Biruni University in Turkey in 2025, where she further developed her medical and research skills.
The institution said lecturers, students and staff had hoped she would recover but that doctors in both Ukraine and Germany were unable to save her despite their efforts.
The university added that Adaobi would be remembered as a bright, friendly and dedicated future doctor with a strong desire to help others.
According to the university, Adaobi was born on April 24, 2003, and was due to graduate in 2026.
As of the time of PUNCH Online‘s report, her nationality had not been officially verified, although the publication identified her as a Nigerian student.
