Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

RUK140

Incident date

April 23, 2022

Location

Cалтівка, Київський район, Saltivka, Kyivskiy district, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

50.03534, 36.359933 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the afternoon of April 23, there were reports of shelling by Russian forces in Kharkiv. This took place in Saltivka, an area within the city’s North Eastern Kyivskiy district, and reportedly resulted in four civilian injuries, including an elderly woman and those trying to rescue her, classifying this incident as a double tap strike. This has been reported by Ukrainian officials, local news outlets, and social media users.

Details of this attack were reported via @prokuratura_kharkiv, a Telegram channel operated by the office of Kharkiv’s regional prosecutor. According to a message posted to this channel, “on April 23, 2022, the Russian military carried out an artillery attack on the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv. As a result of the shelling, a 62-year-old woman was injured.” The same source added that emergency services personnel were injured when responding to this event, stating “When the police arrived at the scene of the shelling, they began to help with the transportation of the wounded woman. However, the Russian occupiers opened fire again in the area. As a result, three law enforcement officers were wounded.” As Ukrainska Pravda reported, this version of events was also communicated on Telegram by Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.

Photos and video footage uploaded to Twitter and Telegram show significant damage to commercial and residential buildings in the area. A video posted to YouTube by the local outlet Public Kharkiv shows emergency services extinguishing numerous fires following the shelling.

Two videos posted by a known Russian source (@frmPFHOYKhUBtUL) accused Ukrainian forces of bombing Kharkiv but did not give any specific information about where or whether casualties resulted.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR56371.

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (18) [ collapse]

  • Kharkiv. The occupiers sent some "liberation"
  • Fire and damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by @real_sight)
  • Kholodnogorsk district, Kharkiv

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The aftermath of the shelling in Kharkiv
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by @sternenko)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by @sternenko)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by @sternenko)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by @UKRINFORM)
  • RUSSIAN SHELLS HIT A SUPERMARKET IN SALTOVKA ON APRIL 23. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES (Image posted by @ukrpravda_news)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by Ukrinform News)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by Ukrinform News)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by Ukrinform News)
  • Damage caused by alleged Russian shelling of Saltivka on April 23, 2022. (Image posted by Ukrinform News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention multiple strikes and fires in the neighbourhood of Saltivka (Салтівка), for which the generic coordinates are: 50.03534, 36.359933. 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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    4
  • 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 (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK070

Incident date

March 18, 2022

Location

Харківський регіональний інститут державного управління, Kharkiv Regional Institute of Public Administration, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

49.991022, 36.254031 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On the morning of Friday March 18th 2022, a missile strike by alleged Russian shelling hit an educational building and two neighboring residential buildings, killing one civilian and injuring at least 11, in the town of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

Sources unanimously account for one civilian being killed, with ACLED Dataset reporting that it was a State Emergency employee whose death resulted from “repeated shelling during a rescue mission.” According to DSNS Telegram channel and Sunlitkh, a total of 55 people and 13 units were deployed with the State Emergency Service. Majority of the sources, including a report from the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and Radio Svoboda, account for 11 civilians reported injured, with ACLED Dataset identifying one of them as a firefighter. Moreover, multiple sources such as Pravda news and the Kharkivlife telegram channel, report one person being under the rubble, later reported by @zynicism twitter account as rescued and not severely injured, technically raising the civilian injured count to 12.

Around 8.40 am a series of missile strikes hit Barabashovo market, as reported by the ACLED Dataset report, and according to the majority of sources, including Kharkiv Today, the six-story building of the Kharkiv Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine was damaged. Moreover, most sources report damages to two neighboring residential buildings, where fires were extinguished according to, among other sources, Novynarnia news. According to LB.ua, information about the attack were also confirmed by the deputy head of Kharkiv OVA Roman Semenukha, and the head of the Main Department of the National Police of the Kharkiv region, Volodymyr Tymoshko, who published pictures of the damaged buildings and stated that the area was indeed residential and that a piece of the control unit of the missile had been recovered.

The vast majority of the sources identify the suspected attackers with the occupying Russian forces, including Radio Svoboda, Obozrevatel news, and the aforementioned local telegram channels such as Kharkivlife.

This assessment has reference to ACLED Code UKR53483.

The incident occured at approximately 8:40 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Strike target
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    11–12
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (19) [ collapse]

  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of enemy shelling, the building of a higher educational institution and residential buildings were damaged. There are dead and injured. This was reported to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine." (Image via Kharkivlife / Telegram)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of enemy shelling, the building of a higher educational institution and residential buildings were damaged. There are dead and injured. This was reported to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine." (Image via Kharkivlife / Telegram)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of enemy shelling, the building of a higher educational institution and residential buildings were damaged. There are dead and injured. This was reported to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine." (Image via Kharkivlife / Telegram)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of enemy shelling, the building of a higher educational institution and residential buildings were damaged. There are dead and injured. This was reported to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine." (Image via Kharkivlife / Telegram)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of enemy shelling, the building of a higher educational institution and residential buildings were damaged, at least one person died, 11 were injured, and one is under rubble." (Image via Pravda)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of rocket fire on the morning of March 18, the premises of the regional institute of public administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine were destroyed." (Image via Ib.ua)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of rocket fire on the morning of March 18, the premises of the regional institute of public administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine were destroyed." (Image via Ib.ua)
  • "In Kharkiv, as a result of rocket fire on the morning of March 18, the premises of the regional institute of public administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine were destroyed." (Image via Ib.ua)
  • Emergency services attend to alleged Russian attack on March 18th 2022 in Kharkiv (Image via Suspilne.media)
  • Mukachevo.net
  • "As a result of shelling by Russian troops in Kharkiv on March 18, residential buildings and the building of a higher educational institution were damaged. One person died, one was buried under the rubble, and there are still other victims, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reports." (Image via Radiosvoboda / news)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Kharkiv Regional Institute of Public Administration (Харківський регіональний інститут державного управління), for which the generic coordinates are: 49.991022, 36.254031. 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
  • Strike target
    School
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • Civilians reported injured
    11–12
  • 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 (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

RUK066

Incident date

March 17, 2022

Location

Рынок Барабашова, Barabashovo market complex, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Geolocation

50.002250, 36.304934 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

On March 17 2022, shortly before 14:00, a missile allegedly fired by a Russia BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher system hit Barabashovo market on Akademika Pavlova Street in Kharkiv, killing one rescue worker and injuring another rescue worker and a woman. One Telegram channel with a clear pro-Russian stance source accused the Ukrainian military of intentionally setting the fire.

A state rescuer was killed by injuries sustained in a secondary strike on the location during rescue efforts in a double tap strike. Pravda News reported that multiple trading pavilions within the market complex were on fire and two surrounding residential buildings were partially damaged in the blaze. A Telegram post from Truexa News subsequently reported that shrapnel flew into a nearby house damaging the garden and part of the house and injuring one woman.

According to operational information from the State Emergency Service, reported by Pravda news, while working to extinguish the fire another missile hit in which two of the rescuers were injured by shrapnel. Both were taken to hospital but the member of the rescue crew sadly did not survive his injuries. Double tap strikes are commonly perceived as infringing on the Principle of Distinction as defined by International Humanitarian Law.

The Emergency Services reported that 21 units of the fire and rescue teams attended the fire with approximately 100 personnel working to extinguish the fire resulting from the missile attack. A Telegram post by Truexa News noted that the fire was finally extinguished after 17 hours, with trading pavilions and two residential buildings partially damaged, and that all efforts had been made to prevent the spread of the fire.

Preliminary data cited in a report on Facebook from the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv region suggests that the shelling occurred from a Grad multiple launch rocket systems. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project also reported that the fire was a result of shelling from a Russian BM-21 Grad, a Soviet design multiple rocket launcher. However, Russian sources on Telegram channel Perviy Kharkovskyi claimed that the fire had been started by the Ukrainian Army.

This assessment has reference to ACLED code UKR53662.

The incident occured at approximately 2:00 pm local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Strike target
    Marketplace
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (33) [ collapse]

  • Smoke from fire at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Slovoidilo)
  • Smoke from fire at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Slovoidilo)
  • Smoke from fire at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Slovoidilo)
  • Rescue workers responded to Barabashovo market following alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Rescue workers responded to Barabashovo market following alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Rescue workers responded to Barabashovo market following alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Fire at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Fire at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Damage at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Damage at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Truexa News)
  • Rescue workers responded to Barabashovo market following alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Pravda News)
  • Rescue workers responded to Barabashovo market following alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Kharkiv Today)
  • Smoke from fire at Barabashovo market caused by alleged Russian strikes on March 17, 2022. (Image posted by Unian via Telegram)
  • Kharkiv Barabashova
  • Kharkiv Barabashova until extinguishing the fire after the explosions.
  • Kharkiv they burned the Barabashov market
  • Kharkiv The Barabashov market is on fire
  • Barabashov Market in Kharkov
  • The famous "Drum" - the market of Barabashov is on fire. As one of the subscribers wrote to us, the "zahysnyks" themselves lit it. People were standing at the "new mail", department 6, and they perfectly saw who was shooting and where they were flying.
  • Barabashov is on fire/Peaceful areas
  • It will not be dark in Kharkiv today ( Barabashovo is burning. Barabashov Market is the largest industrial goods market in Ukraine, with an area of more than 75 hectares, it is the largest in Eastern Europe and ranks 14th in the ranking of the largest markets in the world.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Barabashovo market (Рынок Барабашова) complex in the city of Kharkiv (Харків). The generic coordinates for the complex are: 50.002250, 36.304934. 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
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Strike target
    Marketplace
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • 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 (29) [ collapse]