Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RUK132

Incident date

April 19, 2022

Location

Київський, Індустріальний, Салтівка, Московський район, Kyyivsʹkyy, Industrialʹnyy, Saltivka, Moskovsʹkyy district, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Airwars assessment

On April 19, 2022 alleged Russian missile strikes on the Moscow District of Kharkiv and other residential areas in Kharkiv are reported to have killed between three and 10 civilians and injured between 14 and 40 others.

Most of the assessments of the strike are based on a report by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, which states that a Russian urugan (“Hurricane”) missile strike on the Moscow District at 1:20 PM killed four civilians and injured 14. Also commonly cited is the prosecutor’s statement that the strikes damaged more than 10 residential buildings, garages, and a supermarket.

Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group added that in addition to the civilians killed and injured in the Moscow district, around the same time (in the afternoon), six people were killed and an unknown number of civilians were injured in the Saltivka district of Kharkiv. Kharkiv Life on Telegram specified that a missile attack on the Silpo supermarket in Saltivka district resulted in several victims of shrapnel but did not specify how many.

Numerous photos purporting to show the damaged buildings and supermarket accompany many of the posts.

Other sources offer a more varied account of the number of civilians killed in the strikes, although all seem to agree that the strikes were carried out by Russian forces. Accounts such as TrukhaUkraine via Telegram say that two were killed (later updated to four) and 40 wounded in strikes by “orcs”, a derogatory term for Russian forces, and Alekseevkak stated via Telegram that five were killed and 17 injured in Russian strikes on numerous areas of Kharkiv.

Some of the varying accounts may be explained by the scope of the incidents they are describing. The ACLED Dataset, for example, cites attacks on numerous city districts, whereas the report from the prosecutor’s office is focused on Russian missile strikes on the Moscow District.

Similarly, account such as Unian News, Suspline Media, and Kharkiv OVA state that 26 were injured due to Russian shelling on April 19, although the distinction between the incident focused on the Moscow District and Russian shelling of other areas of Kharkiv is not entirely clear.

Numerous accounts such as Hromadske News, Suspilnekharkiv via Telegram, and Radiosvoboda News cite preliminary estimates by Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Sinegubov, with most of them estimating three killed and 21 injured (Radiosvoboda says 3 killed, 16 wounded) by Russian shelling in areas of the city such as Kyiv, Industrial, Dergachiv and Chuguiv.

Radiosvoboda News quoted the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Sinegubov who identified Russian using rocket salvo systems from a distance of 35-40 km to attack residential areas in Kharkiv.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR56105.

The incident occured at approximately 1:20 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    14–40
  • 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 (30) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (38) [ collapse]

  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Silpo supermarket in Saltivka on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Silpo supermarket in Saltivka on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Silpo supermarket in Saltivka on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Silpo supermarket in Saltivka on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by TrukhaUkraine via Telegram)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by TrukhaUkraine via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by ХС_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims and damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by XC_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by XC_Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office
  • One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kh.vgorode News)
  • One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kh.vgorode News)
  • One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kh.vgorode News)
  • One of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of residential districts in Kharkiv on April 19, 2022. (Image posted by Kh.vgorode News)

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
    3 – 10
  • Civilians reported injured
    14–40
  • 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 (30) [ collapse]