Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RUK058

Incident date

March 14, 2022

Location

вул. Свободи та Парк Горького, Svobody Street and Gorky Park, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

50.003469, 36.237987 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Additional Geolocations

50.019614, 36.245152 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to eight people were killed and two others were wounded by alleged Russian or Ukrainian airstrikes/shelling of Svobody Street and Gorky Park in Kharkiv on March 14, 2022.

The head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Oleg Sinegubov, reported on a car of Help Army volunteers: “A 26-year-old boy died from serious wounds and a woman was wounded. The number of casualties is being established. A total of 65 shots were recorded during the day.” Fakty.ua added that the injured woman was treated in the hospital to have shrapnel removed.

Another volunteer with Help Army wrote on her Facebook a memorial for the victims and identified them as brother and sister. The volunteer wrote “It seemed to be an ordinary volunteer day… We wanted to congratulate the volunteers, recorded a video greeting from the Muzbat guys. We managed to do a lot, but there were two parcels left for the soldiers. We are on our way. “Grad”! “Grads”! “Grads!”

Ukrainska Pravda quoted State Emergency Service of Kharkiv Oblast who reported that emergency teams rescued three people from under the rubble and found the bodies of seven dead under the rubble of houses.

Truexa News provided details that at least two people were killed by shelling of their home on Svoboda street, and one person who was in the basement survived. Anatoliy Torianyk, deputy head of the Main Department of Emergency Situations in Kharkiv region added that at the time there was information about up to three other people under the rubble and Nv.ua added that one person was injured in the same incident. These casualties were likely included in the total of (seven bodies) provided by the State Emergency Service.

Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced that they were investigating “violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)” related to the two civilians killed by shelling on Svobody Street in Kharkiv.

Focus News reported that Russian forces shelled Gorky Park of Culture and Recreation in Kharkiv, damaging several kiosks, creating craters in the ground, and landing near the roller coaster ride. Oleg Sinegubov described the shelling of central Kharkiv as “The occupants fired two rockets at the central part of Kharkiv in one day. They fired from the Smerch multiple rocket launcher in the area of Gorky Park, Sumskiy Market, and the intersection of Sumskaya and Dynamovskaya.” According to Focus News, Gorky Park is one of the largest entertainment centers in Europe.

Comments.Ua added that Russian airstrikes also struck a four-storey building in the city centre. Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group reported that on the ground floor of the house there were shops and catering establishments, and on the next level people lived.

Deputy head of the Main Department of Emergency Situations also reported that the shelling damaged a gas pipeline and rescue services blocked the gas leak.

While the majority of the sources attributed the airstrikes/shelling to Russian forces, a source which sometimes expresses Russian sympathies, Kharkov Nash, posted on Telegram that “it is quite possible that most of today’s “arrivals” are “internal arrivals” and that the shelling on Gagarin Street in the city center, Pushkinskaya Street, and Gorky Park were similar to Grad or Smerch rockets, and that Ukrainian artillery is concentrated close by. Kharkov Nash also stated that Russians had not hit Kharkiv with Iskanders yet.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR53346.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a building struck on Svobody Street (вул.Свободи), and the Maxim Gorky Central Park for Culture and Recreation (Парк культури і відпочинку «Максим Горький») in the city of Kharkiv (Харків). Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed the location of the Svobody Street strike down to the following exact coordinates: 50.003469, 36.237987. The generic coordinates for Gorky Park are: 50.019614, 36.245152. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

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  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Portal.lviv.ua

  • Tagged visual material from sources

    Imagery:
    Suspilne

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Infrastructure
    Gas Facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 8
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (39) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (49) [ collapse]

  • Damage to parts of Gorky Park in Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Focus News)
  • Damage to parts of Gorky Park in Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Focus News)
  • Damage to parts of Gorky Park in Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Focus News)
  • Damage to parts of Gorky Park in Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Focus News)
  • Damage to parts of Gorky Park in Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Focus News)
  • Damage to parts of Gorky Park in Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Focus News)
  • Damage to Gorky Park and close by homes caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News via Telegram)
  • Damage to Gorky Park and close by homes caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News via Telegram)
  • Damage to Gorky Park and close by homes caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News via Telegram)
  • Damage to Gorky Park and close by homes caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News via Telegram)
  • Damage to Gorky Park and close by homes caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News via Telegram)
  • Damage to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by DSNS Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by DSNS Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by DSNS Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by DSNS Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by DSNS Kharkiv via Telegram)
  • Damage to Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv_1654 via Telegram)
  • Damage to Kharkiv caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv_1654 via Telegram)
  • On March 14, a four-story building was destroyed in the center of Kharkiv as a result of an air strike. This is stated on Facebook of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
  • Damage to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Portal.lviv.ua)
  • Damage to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News)
  • Damage to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News)
  • Damage to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News)
  • Damage to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Suspilne News)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Depo Kharkiv)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Depo Kharkiv)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Depo Kharkiv)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by Depo Kharkiv)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office
  • Rescue workers respond to fire and destruction to a four-story residential building on Svobody Street near the Kharkiv Regional State Administration caused by alleged Russian shelling on March 14, 2022. (Image posted by DSNS via Facebook)
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by DSNS
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Anzhela Denisenko
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Dozor.ua
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkov Now
  • Kharkov 14.03.22 more airstrikes on the city! Open your eyes if there are those who think this is a harmless special operation! Go the fuck back to your motherland and get yourselves in order
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Anton Boltik

Russian Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Infrastructure
    Gas Facility
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 8
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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 belligerent
    Russian Military

Sources (39) [ collapse]