Prosecutors reveal details of Russia's secondary strike on first responders in Kharkiv

Russia killed first responders and a city council employee during their efforts to deal with the aftermath of an attack on Kharkiv, leaving others 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 Geran-2. The strike caused a fire in a non-residential building. First responders arrived at the scene and began dealing with the aftermath. While carrying out their duties, they came under a secondary 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 severity. Three civilians were also injured.

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

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 secondary 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 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 also clarified 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.

Background: Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko had earlier reported 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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