“The entire family is dead.” Russia launches drones at residential building of Kharkiv, kills at least 7, including 2 children, injures 20 (Photo)

UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Aug 18 — On August 18, at around 5:00 a.m., Russian drones attacked an apartment building in the Industrialnyi district of Kharkiv. 

Russians killed five people, including a 1.5-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, and injured 20 people, said Oleh Syneihubov, the governor of Kharkiv region. 

Later, rescuers pulled from under the rubble bodies of another two killed people, so the number of people killed in the attack grew to seven. People may still be trapped under the rubble, so information on the casualties might update again. 

The city council has declared a day of mourning.

Gwara Media’s journalists worked at the impact site to document the consequences of the Russian attack.

Residential 5-storey building, damaged by a Russian drone attack in the morning of Aug. 18, 2025 / Photo: Hnat Holyk, Gwara Media

A stuffed toy in the destroyed flat of flat of an apartment building, damaged by a Russian drone attack on Aug. 18, 2025 / Photo: Hnat Holyk, Gwara Media

“Our neighbors on the sixth floor are dead, the entire family. The blast wave threw the husband out of the sixth floor, and then (rescuers) found his wife, their two-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son. A young couple. They had just moved in and bought an apartment,” said Oksana, the resident of the damaged building.

Oksana said she saw drones flying directly toward her apartment building. After the first strike, she ran out into the street with her child. The windows in Oksana’s apartment were blown out, and her sister’s apartment on the first floor was completely destroyed.

A local from the apartment building, severely damaged by a Russian drone attack on Aug. 18, 2025 / Photo: Hnat Holyk, Gwara Media

Rescue operation in an apartment building damaged by the Russian air attack on Kharkiv on Aug. 18, 2025 / Photo: Hnat Holyk, Gwara Media

Syneihubov said that four Russian Geran-2 drones struck this five-story building. Floors were collapsing, and fires broke out in different parts of the it.

The Russian attack also damaged 19 apartment buildings and 25 cars.

The emergency rescue operation is ongoing.

Windows in a flat, burnt down in a fire in the aftermath of the Russian drone attack on Kharkiv on Aug. 18, 2025 / Photo: Hnat Holyk, Gwara Media

Hours before, at 11 p.m. on Aug. 11, the Russians launched a missile at the Industrialnyi district of Kharkiv.

The attack injured 11 people, including a 13-year-old child. All of the victims suffered from acute stress reactions. Medical professionals helped everyone.  

A Russian missile hit the ground near residential apartment buildings, damaging over 10 of them and five parked cars.

In July alone, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine recorded that Russia killed 286 and injured 1,388 people during the Russia-Ukraine war. It is the biggest number since May 2022.

In July, Russia launched 103 air attacks on Kharkiv city, killing one person and injuring 164 people, including 20 children, in July.

Cover photo: Rescuers are putting out fires and searching through the rubble for people after Russia hit a residential apartment building with Geran-2 drones / Hnat Holyk, Gwara Media

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