“They broke everything.” Russia attacks Kharkiv suburbs with 3 glide bombs, injuring 12, including 3 children (in photos) 

UKRAINE, DERHACHI, June 27 — On June 26 at 3:30 p.m., the Russian army hit Derhachi in Kharkiv Oblast with three glide bombs, injuring twelve people, including three children. Viacheslav Zadorenko, a head of the Derhachi community, told Gwara Media about the attack.   

House destroyed by Russian bombardment of Derhachi community on June 26, 2024 / Photo: Denys Klymenko for Gwara Media 

“Six residents of these houses are hospitalized. Over two dozen houses were damaged, and local animals suffered. Luckily, there weren’t lethal cases,” Zadorenko said. 

Svitlana, owner of the house destroyed by Russian glide bomb / Photo: Denys Klymenko for Gwara Media

Zadorenko said that in one of the districts where the bomb hit, five people hung out. 

“They saw a missile alert warning for our district [of the city] on the phone and managed to get to the safe shelter. At the same minute, a bomb hit [a place] where children have just been. Because they don’t dismiss the danger, they managed to save their lives,” Zadorenko said. 

Resident of house, damaged by Russian bombardment of Derhachi community on June 26, 2024 / Photo: Denys Klymenko for Gwara Media 

“You see, there’s no house: no roof, no windows. Forty chickens died under the rubble of the shed — we can’t get them out,” Svitlana, who lives in one of the damaged houses in Derhachi, told Gwara Media. “They left us without the household, without the house, without vegetable garden and outbuildings. [They] broke everything. It’s good that everyone’s alive. There’s an acute stress reaction, but otherwise, everyone’s alive and well.” 

Residents of the houses in Derhachi, Kharkiv Oblast, that were damaged by Russian bombing. June 26, 2024 / Photo: Denys Klymenko for Gwara Media 

A humanitarian center that provides construction materials for people to rescue their staff from the rain opened near the impact sites. Svitlana received a stretch wrap for broken windows. Soon, experts will be here to document the damage, so people will be able to receive compensation from the state. The volunteers will arrive to help clean up the rubble. 

Derhachi, Kharkiv Oblast, in the aftermath of Russian bombing. June 26, 2024 / Photo: Denys Klymenko for Gwara Media

Cover photo: Residents of the houses damaged by Russian bombardment of Derhachi community on June 26, 2024 // Denys Klymenko for Gwara Media

Vika Mankovska, Denys Klymenko, and Daria Lobanok worked on this photo story from the impact site of the Russian attack on Derhachi. Thank you for reading it. You can also support reporting of our Kharkiv-based newsroom on Patreon, BMC, or PayPal.