Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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]