Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RUK139

Incident date

April 23, 2022

Location

Слатине, Slatyne, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

50.21191260197829, 36.155837764480125 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two male civilians were killed in the village of Slatyno, Kharkiv Region by shelling in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Russian service personnel on a residential building in the early afternoon. Images shared online by the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency show a single story house to have been collapsed and destroyed by the shelling with fragments of the building littered across the surrounding land. No further information is known about the two men killed in this shelling at this time.

Though Russia has not claimed responsibility for the shelling, the attack has been widely reported by local twitter sources such as @black_cerber and @verkhovna_rada alongside news organisations including Interfax and LB as of Russian origin. As a result, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office launched a pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder, represented by Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This investigation was conducted by the local SBU Office.

The attack came at the same as Ukranian forces had claimed Slatyno and the neighbouring villages of Bezruky and Prudyanka as “liberated” from Russian occupation. During this time however, Mayor Zadorenko of the Derhachi District noted that there had been non-stop shelling of civilian objects.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR71423.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Slatyne (Слатине), for which the generic coordinates are: 50.21191260197829, 36.155837764480125. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Slatyne on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by Larysa Bodareva via Facebook)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Larysa Bodareva
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office

Russian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military
  • Russian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (11) [ collapse]