Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RUK077

Incident date

March 20, 2022

Location

Харьковская исправительная колония (№43), Kharkiv Correctional Colony (No. 43), Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.936934, 36.386653 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On March 20th, 2022, an alleged Russian artillery shelling hit a penitentiary building and neighboring residential buildings, killing one civilian inside the prison, in the town of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

Sources unanimously account for one convict being hit by shrapnel in the lower back and died later in the hospital, with the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group reporting on the issues related to the evacuation of prisons and pretrial detention centers in case of attacks, with convicts remaining in their cells most of the air alerts. Moreover, majority of sources, including Kharkiv Times, quoted the announcement of an investigation led by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the State Security Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv Region on the basis of “violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).”

As a result of the shelling the penal institutions building was partially destroyed.

The suspected attacker is alleged to be Russia, as reported by Kharkiv Times, Interfax, and Gordon ua.

This incident has ACLED’s reference code UKR54068.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a correctional colony in Kharkiv’s industrial district (Індустріальний район) – Correctional Colony No. 43 (исправительная колония №43), for which the generic coordinates are: 49.936934, 36.386653. 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
    1
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]

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
    1
  • 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 (13) [ collapse]