Russian Military in Ukraine

Russian Military in Ukraine

A member of the Ukrainian Emergency Service looks at the City Hall building in the central square following shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Pavel Dorogoy)

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Incident Code

RUK093

Incident date

April 3, 2022

Location

Слобідський, Slobidskyi, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.947193, 36.269957 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On April 3rd 2022, three to seven civilians were killed and 30 to 42 injured, including two to three children, possibly aged between 3, 5 and 17, when alleged Russian forces shelled Heroiv Stalinhradu Avenue in the Slodifskyi district of Kharkiv.

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced that they were investigating an incident in the Slobidskyi district where preliminary findings show that seven people were killed and 34 people were injured, including three children.

Police.Kharkov put the number of dead at four and Kharkiv volunteer Nataliya Popova reported on Facebook that three people were killed and 31 others were injured. A tweet from @maria_avdv identified 42 people as being wounded in the shelling, including two children.

Kharkiv Life reported on Telegram that one taxi driver was among the dead, but also reported that the taxi driver was just injured.

Radiosvoboda quoted Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration who said that according to data they had gathered, 23 of those injured were in a serious condition, including three children ages three, five and seventeen who were hurt in the attack.

Ten houses and a tram depot was reported to be damaged.

The attack was reported to have taken place at 6pm according to Helsinki.org.ua.

Police.Kharkov reported via Telegram that all victims were civilians, and were taken to Kharkiv Hospital. Photos posted on local telegram channels suggested that the area was hit by rocket artillery, with some photos showing some of the artillery and weapons debris having landed in a children’s playground. Bellingcat reported that at the playground specifically, two people were killed by what they claimed was a cluster munition attack, and the images associated with this incident seem to corroborate these findings.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR55038 and UKR55038 and Bellingcat code CIV0730.

The incident occured at approximately 6:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 7
  • Civilians reported injured
    30–42
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (37) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (24) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of the victims of the alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Police.kharkov
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Police.kharkov via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Police.kharkov via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Police.kharkov via Facebook)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Police.kharkov via Facebook)
  • Graphic image of the victims of the alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News UA via Telegram)
  • 04/03/2022. As a result of the shelling of the Slobid district of Kharkiv by the Russian military on the evening of April 3, seven people were killed and 34 injured, the prosecutor's office of the Kharkiv region reported.
  • Shells which hit a playground in Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Shells which hit a playground in Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Shells which hit a playground in Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Shells which hit a playground in Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Shells which hit a playground in Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Shells which hit a playground in Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • One of the victims of the alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022 identified as a taxi driver. (Image posted by Kharkiv Life via Telegram)
  • Damage to a playground caused by alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by @maria_avdv)
  • Remnants of an alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by @maria_avdv)
  • Damage to a playground caused by alleged Russian shelling of Kharkiv on April 3, 2022. (Image posted by @maria_avdv)

Geolocation notes (3) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a playground being struck in the district of Slodifskyi (Слобідський). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed down the exact location of the strike to these coordinates: 49.947193, 36.269957.

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  • Imagery:
    Police Kharkov

  • Imagery:
    Suspilne News

  • Imagery:
    Truexa News UA

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 – 7
  • Civilians reported injured
    30–42
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (37) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK087

Incident date

March 29, 2022

Location

M03, Чугуївський район, M03, Chuhuiv district, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.924174, 36.458614 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two men were killed and five others, including a baby, were injured by a mine or unexploded ordinance on March 29, 2022 allegedly planted by Russian forces in Chuhuiv.

The Kharkiv human rights group reported that two men were killed and five others, including a six month old baby, were injured when their cars hit mines/unexploded munition.

Sergey Bolvinov, head of the investigative department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the region, provided similar information that two men were killed and five other injured, issuing a warning for others to be careful of mines on the roads.”Until our sappers have cleared the mines, it is extremely dangerous,” warned Bolvinov.

24tv News blamed Russian forces for planting the mine. However, presumably Ukrainian Telegram channel Perviy Kharkovskiy, with a clear pro-Russian stance, accused Ukrainian forces of planting mines but didn’t directly implicate them in this incident.

This incident has ACLED’s reference codes :  UKR68078 and UKR54572.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Sergey Bolvinov
  • Screenshot of Telegram post by Pravda Gerashchenko
  • Mine found by rescue workers near Chuhuiv on March 29, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa news ua via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by a mine explosion near Chuhuiv on March 29, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa news ua via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by a mine explosion near Chuhuiv on March 29, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa news ua via Telegram)
  • Damage caused by a mine explosion near Chuhuiv on March 29, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa news ua via Telegram)

Geolocation notes (4) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention ordnance on the roads of Chuhuiv district (Чугуївський район). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location down to the following exact coordinates: 49.924174, 36.458614.

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  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Pravda Gerashchenko

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Pravda Gerashchenko

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Pravda Gerashchenko

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Pravda Gerashchenko

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK084

Incident date

March 27, 2022

Location

на автодорозі між с. Шевелівка та с. Гусарівка, Highway between Shevelivka and Husarivka, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.355437, 36.777411 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Street level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A family of three civilians, a woman, a man, and a 3-year-old child, were reported killed on March 27th, 2022 in the Izyum district of Kharkiv as the result of an alleged Russian shelling.

The press service of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office reported via Telegram that the family was found dead in a Honda CR-V car on the highway “between the village of Shevelivka and the village of Husarivka, Izium district.” According to gx.net, the car was found “in the middle of the road,” and the family was “killed on the spot.”

The Honda CR-V in which the family was travelling was found damaged on March 27th, 2022. Kharkiv Today reported that police officers found the vehicle “overturned” with the husband, wife, and child dead inside.

A pre-trial investigation was initiated into the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) under the procedural supervision of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. According to preliminary data from the investigation, “Russian servicemen shelled the car with the family in it.” Sources are conflicted, however, as to whether the family was ‘shot’ or ‘shelled.’

All sources alleged Russian responsibility for the strike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Damage to a vehicle caused by alleged Russian shelling in Izium region on March 27, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Telegram)
  • Damage to a vehicle caused by alleged Russian shelling in Izium region on March 27, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Telegram)
  • Damage to a vehicle caused by alleged Russian shelling in Izium region on March 27, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Telegram)
  • Damage to a vehicle caused by alleged Russian shelling in Izium region on March 27, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office via Telegram)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Novopokrovsk United Territorial Community

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle struck on the highway between the villages of Shevelivka (Шевелівка) and Husarivka (Гусарівка). The generic coordinates for this stretch of the road are: 49.355437, 36.777411. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK083

Incident date

March 27, 2022

Location

с. Оскіл, Ізюмський район, Oskil, Izium, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.178187, 37.426539 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Seven civilians including two minors were reported killed and five, including a 4-year-old child, were reported injured after alleged Russian shelling of the village of Oskil of the Izyum district in Kharkiv on March 27th, 2022.

A family of four, including a seven-year-old boy, were among those killed, after a rocket “hit one of the residential buildings” in the village “directly,” according to Oleg Sinegubov, the head of Kharkiv OVA.

The press service of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office stated that a 4-year-old, identified by local sources as a girl, was additionally “seriously injured” and the family’s “house was damaged” by the shelling.

Three more civilians, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed in other parts of the village, and four people were additionally injured, according to an ongoing pre-trial investigation launched under the procedural guidance of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office in criminal proceedings on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union reported that 21 trips were made during the day from March 27th-28th by rescuers of the Kharkiv Garrison of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in order to “eliminate fires and dismantle rubble of destroyed buildings.”

StratcomCentreUA reported that the outskirts of Kharkiv were attacked using long-range weapons. All sources alleged Russian responsibility for the strike. This incident occurred at night.

This incident has ACLED’s reference codes: UKR68074 and UKR54602.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    7
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Synegubov.official
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Denisova liudmyla

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Oskil, Izium (с. Оскіл, Ізюмський район), for which the generic coordinates are: 49.178187, 37.426539. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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
    7
  • (2 children)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (17) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK073

Incident date

March 19–20, 2022

Location

Індустріальний район, Industrial District, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.941939, 36.394095 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least five civilians, including a boy, an elderly woman, and a man, were reported killed in the Industrial District after alleged Russian night shelling of Kharkiv from March 19th to March 20th, 2022.

The five civilians, identified as residents of the Industrial District by Kharkiv Today, were reported “killed by shelling” according to Vyacheslav Markov, the assistant chief of the Kharkiv Oblast National Police.

The head of the regional military administration, Oleg Sinegubov, cited by Suspline.media, reported on national air about the death of a 9-year-old child and a man as a result of the shelling in the area of KhTZ. An elderly woman was identified by the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group as one of the five civilians reported killed. According to Kharkiv Today, “the exact number of dead and wounded is still unknown.”

Local sources were conflicted as to the date of the shelling resulting in five reported civilian deaths. Some sources report that the shelling occurred during the night from February 19th to 20th, and others from March 19th to March 20th. Sources are also conflicted as to whether Vyacheslav Markov reported that the incident took place in February or March.

The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group stated that the shelling of residential areas of KhTZ and Severnaya Saltivka “lasted for more than an hour.” According to Kharkiv Today, shelling was carried out at KhTZ, Rogan, Horizont, Bolshaya Danilovka, and Northern Satlovka.

Streets and Squares of Kharkiv reported via Facebook that about 20 fires broke out in Kharkiv during the day mainly in the Kievsky, Moskovsky, and Industrial districts. Over 20 rescuers were said to have been sent to eliminate fires and clean rubble from destroyed buildings. Kharkiv Today reported that rescuers “could not even drive up” to Kharkiv “due to constant volleys of enemy artillery.”

Streets and Squares of Kharkiv additionally reported over 27 trips by pyrotechnicians to eliminate explosive objects. @JohnnyRomashka via Twitter identified mines scattered throughout the region as the “main threat to civilians.”

All sources alleged Russian responsibility for the strike. The press center of the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv region reported that the armed forces of the Russian Federation fired at Kharkiv’s civilian population from artillery systems.

According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, an investigation has been launched regarding the five reported civilian deaths resulting from the shelling of Kharkiv. The Office reported via Facebook that investigators of the State Security Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv Region have launched an ongoing pre-trial investigation into the “fact of violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine),” under the procedural leadership of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

The investigation confirmed that servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation “carried out artillery fire on a residential quarter of the Industrial District of Kharkiv,” resulting in five civilian deaths including a 9-year-old boy, on March 19th, 2022.

The incident has ACLED’s reference code: UKR54067.

This incident occurred in the evening.

The incident occured during the night.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (59) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (30) [ collapse]

  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian shelling of the Industrial District on March 20, 2022. (Image posted by We_ukraine on Instagram)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Graphic image of the victims of alleged Russian shelling of the Industrial district in Kharkiv on March 20, 2022. (Image posted by Prokuratura_kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian shelling of the Industrial district in Kharkiv on March 20, 2022. (Image posted by Prokuratura_kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian shelling of the Industrial district in Kharkiv on March 20, 2022. (Image posted by Prokuratura_kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Shelling of Industrial district of Kharkiv on March 20, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Vyacheslav Markov
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Zychayny Belarus
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by ShoTam Zmіїv
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by MEDIA ZMIІЇV - operational news of Zmіїvshchina and Kharkiv region
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Chyzhevska Maryna
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Oksana Priymak
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by RBC UA
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Oxana Chelysheva
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Krasnograd community
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Marianna Fumarova
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Maidan blog post & information review
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkiv life
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Lena Nikiforova
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Dmytro Bozhenko
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Olga Zhurbenko
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Alexey Ilinchik
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Where in Kharkov
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Streets and squares of Kharkiv .INFO
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Shanina Rowland
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Jimmy Mitchell
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian shelling of the Industrial District on March 20, 2022. (Image posted Segodnya)
  • On the night of March 20, only in one of the districts of Kharkiv - Industrial - several adults and a nine-year-old boy were killed as a result of shelling.
  • Destruction caused by alleged Russian shelling of the Industrial District on March 20, 2022. (Image posted Telegraf)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the industrial district (Індустріальний район) of the Kharkiv (Харків), for which the generic coordinates are: 49.941939, 36.394095. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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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
    5
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (59) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK071

Incident date

March 19, 2022

Location

ХТЗ, KhTZ, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.944289, 36.377515 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the evening of Saturday March 19th 2022, shelling by alleged Russian forces hit the Industrial District of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, killing two civilians including a 9-year-old child.

Almost every source accounts for two civilians being killed, except for H_saltovka Telegram channel reporting five. However, every other source reported the victims as a 9-year-child and a man, identified by the Tipichnoe_xtz Telegram channel as the father of the child.

Early reports on the 19th from Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group and Twitter accounts such as @no_itsmyturn and @HeedoAbuLaban, referring to statements made by Oleg Synegubov, the head of the Kharkiv OVA, identified the child as a girl. However, later accounts on the 20th and 21st of March from Tipichnoe_xtz, H_saltovka, and Kharkiv_1654 telegram channels reported that according to Vyacheslav Markov, assistant chief of police in the Kharkiv region, the child was a boy.

The attack took place in the evening in several districts of Kharkov, such as Northern Saltovka and Bolshaya Danilovka, while also hitting residential buildings in the KhTZ area, as reported by Gx.net.ua, in the Industrial District of Kharkiv, where the two civilians were killed.

The suspected attacker is alleged to be Russia, as reported by Hromadske, Novynarnia, and ACLED, although responsibility has not been accepted explicitly.

This assessment has reference to ACLED Code UKR54066.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (1 child1 man)
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • "Today's shelling of different districts of Kharkiv: a child is among the dead" (Image via Gx.net.ua)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the KhTZ (ХТЗ) neighbourhood of the city of Kharkiv (Харків), for which the generic coordinates are: 49.944289, 36.377515. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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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
  • (1 child1 man)
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK063

Incident date

March 17, 2022

Location

Козача Лопань, Kozacha Lopan, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

50.336013, 36.193996 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Additional Geolocations

50.334438, 36.190772 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between four and six civilians, including an elderly woman, were killed and at least two others, including a child, were wounded by alleged Russian or Ukrainian shelling of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv on March 17, 2022.

The head of the Dergachev community Vyacheslav Zadorenko announced on Facebook that Russian forces used cluster bombs and “as a result, at least six people were killed, data on the number of injured are being investigated. The invaders bombed the railway station, shops, pharmacies and other civilian buildings in the center of the village. At the same time, the military infrastructure that the invaders placed in Kazachya, as well as the Russian military, were not damaged.” Various local sources quoted Zadorenko and provided similar information.

Russian sources including Russian state-run RIA Novosti attributed the bombing to Ukrainian forces, accusing Ukraine of bombing “civilian objects, including at the point of issue of humanitarian aid,” resulting in the death of four civilians and the injury of at least two others. Quoting a “representative of the local provisional administration,” the Russian source reported that the shelling occurred around noon and involved 52 mm artillery guns. Discussing the victims, a local resident told RIA that a teenage girl was wounded when she was “returning home with their grandmother with food products. The grandmother was killed on the spot, the girl’s leg was torn off.”

This assessment corresponds to ACLED code UKR53666.

The incident occured at approximately 12:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Ukrainian Military

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by alleged Russian bombing of Kozacha Lopan on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Slovoidilo)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Zadorenko
  • Damage from an alleged Russian cluster bomb on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by @TRTRussian)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Tatyana Radchuk
  • The armed forces of Ukraine from heavy guns fired at the border village of Kazachya Lopan, Kharkiv region. They beat exclusively on civilian objects, including at the point of issue of humanitarian aid. At that moment, another batch of food and basic necessities was distributed to people. As a result, four civilians were killed and several others were injured.
  • In the LNR reported 4 dead after the shelling of the village in the Kharkiv region by the Armed Forces of Ukraine As reported in the Luhansk People's Republic, in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian soldiers fired on the village of Cossack Lopan from heavy guns. According to preliminary information, the shelling lasted about half an hour, and in total about forty shells were fired from the MSTA. As a result of the shelling, four people were killed, and more than two were injured. “The first shells fell around noon, it was at this time that almost the entire village (and this is at least a thousand people) received Russian humanitarian aid. Also, blows were delivered to the area of the village council and the local school. There were also people there and received humanitarian aid,” the LPR noted. The victims were evacuated to the Russian Federation for medical assistance. Among the wounded civilians was a 12-year-old girl, she was caught on the street with her grandmother when they were returning to their home with food products. An elderly woman died on the spot, and the girl was seriously injured, the LPR reported. Some residents managed to leave their homes when everything calmed down. They traveled on foot to the Russian border to take cover from shelling.
  • Damage caused by shelling of Cossack Lopan on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Rossaprimavera.ru)
  • Ukrainian security forces shelled the recently liberated village of Kozachya Lopan in Kharkiv region. According to the RIA Novosti news agency, the first shells fell around noon. It was at this time that at least a thousand people gathered in the square to receive Russian humanitarian aid. According to preliminary information, four people were killed and at least two wounded. The victims, including a 12-year-old girl, were evacuated to Russia.
  • Kozachya Lopan was shelled with heavy weapons during the distribution of humanitarian aid Ukrainian militants shelled the village of Kozachya Lopan in Kharkiv region with heavy guns. The settlement is under the control of the Russian army. They organized a distribution of humanitarian aid there, and when hundreds of people arrived, the neo-Nazis opened fire on them. There were fatalities and injuries.

Geolocation notes (4) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention strikes in multiple locations in the town of Kozacha Lopan (Козача Лопань). Analysing audiovisual material from sources, we have narrowed these locations down to the following coordinates: 50.336013, 36.193996; 50.334438, 36.190772.

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  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Zvezda

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Zvezda

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    First Kharkov

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    First Kharkov

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Ukrainian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    4 – 6
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attackers
    Russian Military, Ukrainian Military

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK064

Incident date

March 17, 2022

Location

Золочів, Zolochiv, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

50.273048, 35.977971 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged Russian shelling attacks on the village of Zolochiv in Kharkiv killed a woman and wounded two others, including a child, on March 17, 2022.

The village of Zolochiv endured heavy shelling, allegedly from Russian forces on March 17th. In the midst of the bombing, a 44 year old mother covered her four year daughter. While the daughter was wounded, her mother was killed. The girl’s father was also wounded. Twitter users @KHARKIV_RULIT, @EmineDzheppar, and @f_o_r_Ukraine provided images of the wounded girl and her home post-shelling.

A more detailed account was posted by the Kharkiv Times at Times.kharkiv.ua. The report included a description of the strike provided by Viktor Kovalenko to Suspilne Media: “The shell came when she and her child were sleeping in the house by the window. The woman covered her 4-year-old daughter with her body, but she herself did not survive. The child has a leg injury. There was also a man there – he also had an injury. The doctors rendered assistance to the injured in the hospital – they pulled out the fragments, made bandages. Their house is partially destroyed.”

Kovalenko was described as “the head of the community” in the report.  Kovalenko also noted that the alleged Russian artillery began shelling the village around 2 am and continued until roughly 4 am. There were about 15 explosions in total. Seven private houses, electricity and gas networks were damaged.

In a story posted by Objectiv.tv, the forty-four year old mother shielded her daughter from death and lost her life in the process. The article went on to say that, “a pre-trial investigation has been launched into violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder (part 2 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).” This description of an impending investigation was corroborated by a Facebook post from Prokuratura Kharkiv.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR53712.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Gas facility, Power Station
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (19) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of the village of Zolochiv on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by @EmineDzheppar)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of the village of Zolochiv on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by @EmineDzheppar)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of the village of Zolochiv on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by @EmineDzheppar)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of the village of Zolochiv on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Objectiv TV)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of the village of Zolochiv on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Objectiv TV)
  • Screenshot of post by GX on Facebook
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Prokuratura Kharkiv

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Zolochiv (Золочів), for which the generic coordinates are: 50.273048, 35.977971. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Gas facility, Power Station
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 attacker
    Russian Military

Sources (19) [ collapse]