“I felt my house lift up into the air.” Russian attack on Kharkiv injures 8 people, damages over 12 houses (Photos)

UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Oct. 21 — “I heard two series of explosions, the first at 1:07 a.m. and the second at 1:17 a.m.,” said Oleksandr, a local from the private sector in the Industrialnyi district of Kharkiv.

On the night of Oct. 21, the Russian army attacked the Industrialnyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts of the city with six glide bombs, injuring at least eight people and damaging over 12 houses, said the Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekhov.

Gwara Media’s journalists spoke to Oleksandr as he, along with his neighbours, worked to cover doors and windows in his home with plywood — they had been blasted out by the explosions. It was cold and raining outside.

Locals of the Industrialnyi district cleaning the consicuenses after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Gwara Media, Mykyta Kuznetsov

A Russian glide bomb hit the ground next to one of the houses here, completely destroying it. Locals said that, at the time of the attack, there were two elderly women inside.

“We called an ambulance because one of them was struck by debris, but they are both alive, just very stressed. Their relatives took them away,” said Tetiana, one of the women’s neighbours.

Tetiana’s house is one of the most damaged. In addition to broken windows, doors, and roof, Russian bombing damaged her household appliances and furniture.

“I woke up to the sound of glass and bricks falling on me. I was very scared, but the main thing is that we are all alive,” Tatiana added, smiling through her tears.

Local of the Industrialnyi district carry roof’s shingle after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Gwara Media, Mykyta Kuznetsov

Destroyed house in the Industrialnyi district after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Mykyta Kuznetsov, Gwara Media

Inside a destroyed house in the Industrialnyi district after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Mykyta Kuznetsov, Gwara Media

Liudmila, another local, said that she first heard a loud noise, and then a flash of bright light lit up everything around her, “I felt my house lif up into the air.” 

The blast wave blew out the windows and doors of her neighbor Viktor’s house. He said that this was not the first “attack” in the area. Back in 2022, the Russians attacked it from the then-occupied suburb of Kharkiv — Mala Rohan village.

Municipal workers obtain materials to repair the damaged roof after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Gwara Media, Mykyta Kuznetsov

Locals of the Industrialnyi district after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Gwara Media, Mykyta Kuznetsov

Valeriia Chyrina, spokesperson for the regional Prosecutor’s office, suggested that the Russians could have used a jet-powered glide bomb to attack Kharkiv this night. Investigation into details of the attack is currently underway.

Inside a destroyed house in the Industrialnyi district after Russian attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 21 / Photo: Gwara Media, Mykyta Kuznetsov

Later in the morning, Mayor Terekhov added that the Russian attack on the city also damaged a building of a civilian business.

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