UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, May 14 — Russia killed about half of the cow population in Kharkiv Oblast during the full-scale invasion, said Olena Zhupinas, Deputy CEO of the Association of Milk Producers to Gwara Media.

Before the full-scale invasion, the Kharkiv region was Ukraine’s third-largest producer of milk. About 33,000 cows were on the region’s farms, but in January 2025, about 17,500 cows remained, meaning Russia killed about half of them.

“Analyzing all these cases, we think Russia did this intentionally. If Russian attacks damage dairy farms, that means people lose their jobs and are forced to leave their homes. So, Russia tries to create panic among the people or to demand from the authorities some concessions (in the territories — ed.) for Russians,” said Zhupinas.

She said that Moscow “undermines” the food security of Ukraine and the whole world by their attacks on farms because Ukraine is a major exporter of agricultural products.

According to a Kyiv School of Economics report, during the full-scale war, direct losses to Ukrainian agriculture amounted to $10,3 million. Half of these were losses in animal production, and farms suffered the most.

On the night of April 28, Russians launched 10 Shahed drones at Mokra Rokytna village in Nova Vodolaha community of Kharkiv Oblast. The drones hit a private dairy farm, damaging a calf shed, an administrative building, three cowsheds, two storage buildings, and a car.

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