Russian Armed Forces hit construction material hypermarket in Kharkiv, killing and injuring civilians (updated)

Russians hit a residential area in Kharkiv at 16:02 on 25 May 2024, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. 

Later, Terekhov added that, based on early reports, the Russians struck a construction material hypermarket. He wrote on Telegram: “A large number of people are missing. Many are wounded. This is pure terrorism.”

A video of the fire and a massive cloud of smoke from the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv was shared on social media.

In addition, the Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, reported on Telegram that the Russians had struck “civilian commercial infrastructure” with two guided aerial bombs and a fire broke out over 13,000 m2. Information about the number of casualties is being gathered.

Reports indicate that Russians killed eighteen people and injured 48 in the air strikes. Police in Kharkiv Oblast reported that a 12-year-old girl who was among the visitors to the commercial facility was among those killed.

The body of 17-year-old Kyrylo

The body of 17-year-old Kyrylo, who was present at the home improvement hypermarket Epicentr when Russian forces attacked it, was found and identified using DNA samples on the morning of May 27, according to Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine branch in Kharkiv Oblast.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “This strike on Kharkiv is another manifestation of Russian madness. Only madmen like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin are capable of killing and terrorising people in this way.”

He added that Ukraine needs modern air defence systems from its allies to protect against such attacks.

At around 19:10, the Russian Armed Forces carried out another attack on another densely populated residential area in central Kharkiv. 14 people were injured in the second attack. Among them was a 13-year-old boy who was hospitalised.

Earlier, Syniehubov reported that Russian forces had struck the settlement of Kupiansk-Vuzlove with a guided aerial bomb. At least five people were injured and an ambulance and one civilian vehicle were damaged.

By way of background, on May 23, 2024, Russians delivered about 15 strikes with S-300/S-400 missiles on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and the Kharkiv Oblast. The strikes hit the Vivat publishing house’s Faktor-Druck workshop, among other targets. Seven Vivat workers were killed and 22 were injured.