UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Aug 2 — Russia has attacked Kharkiv and its suburbs every day since August 30. During the previous three days, Russian glide bombs, drones, and missiles killed at least nine people, including a child, and injured 168 people, including 31 children in Kharkiv and Cherkaska Lozova, a settlement on its outskirts. Gwara Media has been to impact sites of these strikes in these days and documented the aftermath.
Russia targets Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, often because of its proximity to the border and the frontline. While the escalation of Russian strikes on the city after the beginning of Russia’s new offensive north of the region was somewhat mitigated by Ukraine receiving permission to use short-range weapons to defend the border, the attacks intensified again after Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine on August 27.
On August 30, during the day, Russians launched five glide bombs on Kharkiv, hitting five locations in its two districts. One of the bombs severely damaged a 12-story residential apartment building in the Industrialnyi district of the city. Another hit near the children’s playground in Nemyshlanskyi district, killing a 14-year-old girl. Other bombs hit a school and damaged civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv.
Overall, Russian bombardment that day killed at least seven people and injured 97, including 22 children. An 18-year-old artist, Nika Kozhushko, was killed after a bomb destroyed her apartment.
Zelenskyy mentioned that attack in his address to Ukraine’s allies, urging them to allow Ukraine to strike Russian military aircraft where it’s based—on the territory of Russia—with long-range weapons.
“There is no rational reason to limit Ukraine’s defense,” Ukraine’s President said. “This is about saving lives.”
On August 31, Russian troops targeted Cherkaska Lozova, a village in Kharkiv suburbs, killing two people and injuring 11, including two children.
The attack destroyed two houses and damaged over 10. According to the Kharkiv regional Prosecutor’s office, Russians attacked the village with a modified FAB-500 glide bomb.
On September 1, during the day, Russia attacked Kharkiv about ten times, including with four Iskander and three S-300 missiles.
The attack injured 50 people, including seven children, and damaged a mall, a post office, and the largest sports facility in Kharkiv, “Palats Sportu.”
Russia hit some of the locations with double-tap strikes—targeting the same impact sites the second time—and repeated attacks injured two medics and two rescuers.
As of September 2, 27 people are still hospitalized after Russian attacks over the previous three days. Regional emergency services told Gwara Media that, to mitigate the consequences of these attacks, the city had to engage all available emergency workers to rescue civilians, put out fires, and sort out the debris of damaged and destroyed buildings.
According to Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv Mayor, over August, Russia conducted 11 attacks on Kharkiv during August, affecting [injuring or killing—ed.] 147 people, including 24 children.
Cover photo: Burning high-rise building in Kharkiv after Russian bombardment of Kharkiv on August 30, 2024 / Photo: Ivan Samoilov for Gwara Media
Gwara Media’s journalists and photographers went to impact sites of Russian attacks on the city to document what Russia does to our home. Thank you for following our work. Please, consider also supporting our efforts to tell the truth about the Russian-Ukrainian war in the Kharkiv region on Patreon, BMC, or PayPal.
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