Shahed drones hit Kharkiv: House damaged, fires break out, victims confirmed
Rescuers are already at the scene (Photo: Getty Images)
On Monday morning, August 18, Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with drones. One of the Shahed drones struck a residential building, causing a fire, and there are reports of casualties, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov’s Telegram.
The first explosions from the drone attack were heard around 04:48 Kyiv time. Later, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that strikes from Shahed drones were confirmed in the Industrialnyi district. One of the strikes hit a multi-story residential building.
It soon became known that the impact caused a fire.
“In the residential building hit by the Shahed, there is a fire in two sections. In one section, floors two through four are burning, while in the other, the top floor is on fire,” the statement said.
Terekhov added that due to collapsed ceilings, there is a risk that people may be trapped under the debris.
Meanwhile, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, reported that currently two people have been injured in the city.
“A 25-year-old man and a 79-year-old woman were injured by the strike of an enemy UAV in the Industrialnyi district. They are receiving medical assistance. Emergency services are working at the site,” he wrote.
Updated at 05:50
The mayor later clarified that 15 people have now been injured in the city, including four children. Two of the children are aged 6 and 10.
“At this time, a 6-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, and a 16-year-old boy still require medical attention… Six people have been hospitalized so far,” Syniehubov added.
He also reported that, according to preliminary data, one man has died.
Updated 06:35
Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a woman was rescued from the rubble and is receiving medical attention.
As of 06:24 Kyiv time, rescuers in Kharkiv had found the bodies of three people, including a one-year-old child, and 17 others were injured, six of them children.
At 06:36, the mayor added that another person was pulled from the debris.
"Fortunately, they are alive. Emergency doctors are currently treating them," Terekhov wrote.
Strike on Kharkiv
Late in the evening on 17 August, Russian forces also attacked Kharkiv. However, this time, a ballistic missile hit the Industrialnyi district.
Authorities clarified that the strike occurred near residential buildings. As a result, more than 10 multi-story apartment buildings were damaged, with over 1,000 windows blown out by the blast wave. Additionally, five parked cars were damaged.
It is reported that 11 people were affected by this attack, all experiencing acute stress reactions.
