Russian troops attacked Kharkiv and the region with guided aerial bombs (KABs) and missiles early on Wednesday, Oct. 1, causing large fires, destruction, and injuries.
“Russia struck Kharkiv, the suburbs, and the Chuhuiv district with guided aerial bombs and missiles,” the State Emergency Service (DSNS) said.
The strikes affected two districts of Kharkiv – Kyivskyi and Saltivskyi.
In the Kyivskyi district, shopping pavilions covering 2,800 square meters (30,140 square feet) caught fire. Photos from the DSNS and reports from local Telegram channels indicate the Barabashovo market was ablaze.
Barabashovo is Ukraine’s largest industrial and commodity market, spanning over 75 hectares, the biggest in Eastern Europe, and ranked 14th among the largest markets in the world.
Initially, five people were reported injured, but Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov later confirmed eight victims.
“The night in Kharkiv was again difficult. The enemy hit the city with KABs,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram.
He added that a private house in Saltivskyi district was destroyed, while another 12 homes, cars, and high-voltage lines were damaged. In the Kyivskyi district, shopping pavilions near Barabashovo metro station burned, and the station’s entrance was damaged.
In Saltivka, on Vladyslav Zubenko Street, garages were destroyed and windows in high-rise buildings shattered.
“The city’s municipal and emergency services worked all night. Despite the blows and destruction, the city is holding on and continues to live,” Terekhov added.
Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration (OVA), reported that eight apartment buildings, 17 private houses, a college, an enterprise, a hangar, 13 cars, 15 garages, a metro entrance, and shopping pavilions were damaged.
According to the DSNS, the fires have been contained, with rescue units, pyrotechnicians, psychologists, dog handlers, and volunteer firefighters still working on the ground.
Meanwhile, in Dnipro, the number of victims from a drone attack on Sept. 30 has risen to 31, including children.
“In Dnipro, there are already 31 victims as a result of yesterday’s attack. Several minors were injured, including a 17-year-old boy who sought medical help,” Serhiy Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA, said on Telegram.
The Sept. 30 Shahed drone strike caused multiple fires in the city. A medical center and a children’s dental clinic were damaged. By the end of the day, 28 victims were confirmed, including a 10-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl; 12 people were hospitalized.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the strike:
“Simply a brazen strike - in broad daylight, on civilian infrastructure. With each such strike, Russia proves again and again that stronger pressure is needed. Sanctions must become more painful for the aggressor, and Europe must build reliable defenses against drones and missiles so no country faces this threat alone.”
Lysak added that early on Oct. 1, Russia also carried out drone strikes on the Petropavlivska and Pokrovska communities in the Synelnykove district, damaging infrastructure, a store, and a pharmacy. No casualties were reported.
In addition, Russia shelled the Pokrovska community in the Nikopol district with heavy artillery. Experts are assessing the damage; no casualties were reported.