Russian strike on Kharkiv on 7 March: search operations completed, 11 killed, 4 missing
Search and rescue operations have been completed in the city of Kharkiv at the site where a Russian missile hit a block of flats on 7 March, with initial reports indicating that 10 people had been killed. Today, 9 March, has been declared a day of mourning in the city.
Source: Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko; Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration
Quote from Klymenko: "This was a targeted strike. It happened in the middle of the night, when dozens of families – residents of this five-storey building – were asleep. Sadly, 10 people were killed, including two children: a seven-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Body parts have also been recovered from under the rubble, and identification is still ongoing."
Details: Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov later noted that bodies and body parts found under the rubble indicated that the death toll stood at 11 people. "It will be possible to say more precisely after examinations have been carried out," he said.
At least 16 people were injured in the attack, including three children. Dog handlers with search dogs will continue working even after the rescue operation has been completed – reports indicate that four people are still missing.
Oleh Syniehubov said that 9 March has been declared a day of mourning in Kharkiv. "We honour the memory of the people whose lives were taken by another Russian terrorist attack on the night of 6-7 March… This is a brutal crime by the occupiers against our peaceful people, which we will never forget and never forgive," the head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration wrote.
Background:
- The Russians struck a high-rise building in Kharkiv with a ballistic missile on the night of 6-7 March, killing civilians.
- A secondary school in the Kyivskyi district was also damaged in the Russian bombardment.
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