Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RUK124

Incident date

April 16, 2022

Location

Нововодолазька, Nova Vodolaga, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.721411, 35.867435 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three demining employees were killed and four other employees were injured – all men – by the explosion of munitions, including cluster munitions, near Nova Vodolaga in Kharkiv on April 16, 2022.

The Novovodolazka council announced on Facebook that three employees of the Interregional Center for Humanitarian Demining and Rapid Response of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, which is located in the Novovodolazka community, were killed in the line of duty when trying to remove a Russian mine. Local sources added that the commander of the pyrotechnics unit was killed.

Suspilne News, quoting the State Emergency Services, added that four others working on demining were injured to varying degrees of severity, and needed urgent treatment and surgery.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsk was quoted by LB.ua as stating that cluster munitions were among the munitions that exploded during the operation. All of the sources reported that Russian forces were responsible for the cluster munitions and mines that exploded.

This incident has reference to ACLED codes UKR55924 and UKR78373.

The incident occured in the evening.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the vicinity of the town of Nova Vodolaga (Нововодолазька), for which the generic coordinates are: 49.721411, 35.867435. 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
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Novovodolazka village council
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by International center for humanitarian unmining and rapid reacting
  • Screenshot of Facebook post by Kharkiv city

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
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Planted explosives and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
  • 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 (15) [ collapse]