Prosecutors reveal details of Russian double-tap strike on first responders in Kharkiv – photo, video

Russia killed first responders and a city council employee as they were attempting to deal with the aftermath of an attack on Kharkiv. Others were left injured. Law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation.

Source: Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov; State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Details: The investigators reported that at around 23:00 on 14 June, the Russians attacked Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskyi district with a strike drone, presumably a Geran-2. The strike caused a fire in a non-residential building. First responders arrived at the scene and began dealing with the aftermath. As they were carrying out their duties, they came under a repeat attack as Russian forces launched four more missile strikes on the site of the rescue operation.

The attack killed four first responders and one employee of the Emergency Situations Department of Kharkiv City Council. Six other firefighters sustained injuries of varying degrees of severity. Three civilians were also injured.

Photo: Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Later that same night, a Russian drone struck near a residential area in Kharkiv's Shevchenkivskyi district. A woman was injured and apartment buildings and vehicles were damaged by the blast wave and debris.

Quote from Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office: "This is yet further evidence of the cynical tactics employed by the aggressor state: after the initial strike, the enemy waited for emergency services to arrive before launching a repeat attack against those who were saving lives and dealing with the aftermath.

Under the procedural supervision of Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office, pre-trial investigations have been launched into alleged war crimes under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine."

Update: The State Emergency Service has identified the four fallen firefighters from Kharkiv's 6th State Fire and Rescue Unit:

• Dmytro Boiko, unit commander and Chief Master Sergeant of the Civil Protection Service;
• Danylo Tishchenko, firefighter and rescue worker and Civil Protection Service Sergeant;
• Serhii Makovetskyi, firefighter and rescue worker and Civil Protection Service Sergeant;
• Vadym Zinchenko, driver and master sergeant of the Civil Protection Service.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov has also stated that Oleksii Dorozhkin, an employee of the Kharkiv City Council's Emergency Situations Department, was killed during the repeat strike.

He had been working alongside first responders to deal with the aftermath of the initial attack when the Russians launched the repeat strike.

Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Administration, reported that 13 people were injured as a result of strikes on an industrial zone.

Four of those injured were taken to hospital: two men are in an extremely serious condition in intensive care, while two women are in a stable condition. A one-month-old baby was also taken to hospital. They are receiving medical care.

Early information from law enforcement officers indicates that the Russians used Iskander missiles in the double-tap strike, Syniehubov noted.

Background: Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported earlier that five first responders were killed while extinguishing a fire caused by the attack on Kharkiv on the night of 14-15 June.

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