A large-scale fire, a column of black smoke over the city, and the bodies of murdered Kharkiv residents in a parking lot — these are the consequences of yet another crime committed by Russians against civilians. Today, May 25, 2024, at 16:02, Russian troops struck the Epicenter hypermarket in Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs (KABs). The number of dead and wounded is increasing every hour.
At the time of the strike, more than 200 people were inside the building. As of now, contact has been lost with at least 11 people, and the deaths of four individuals have been confirmed. As of 20:34, the number of wounded stood at 40 people, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
The Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, noted that those killed were men who worked at the hypermarket.
The shopping center administration reported that after the air raid alert was announced, staff did everything possible to evacuate visitors and employees as quickly as they could. However, two strikes to the central part of the building occurred just minutes after the warning signal.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office stated that the Russian army struck the city with two UMPB D30-SN munitions. The strikes were launched from the territory of Russia’s Belgorod region.
“Rescue operations are ongoing. Prosecutors and police investigators are working at the scene to document a war crime. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” the prosecutor’s office said.
If Ukraine had sufficient air defense systems and modern combat aircraft, such Russian strikes would simply be impossible, believes President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who responded to the latest brutal attack on Kharkiv.
“As of now, it is known that more than 200 people could have been inside the hypermarket. All services are already on site providing assistance — rescuing people and extinguishing the fire that has completely engulfed the premises, covering 10,000 square meters,” Zelenskyy reported.
The hypermarket administration noted that Epicenter chain facilities, which provide the population with essential goods, have been attacked by the occupiers not for the first time. Previously, the Russian army completely destroyed six shopping centers of the company in Mariupol, Chernihiv, Bucha, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Nikopol. Several other facilities in the chain have ceased operations due to active hostilities, constant shelling, and the seizure of Ukrainian territories by occupying forces.
Later in the evening, at 19:10, another explosion was heard in Kharkiv. Russians struck the central district of the city, an area of dense residential development. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported 11 injured.
Worked on the material:
Topic researcher, text author: Vira Labych
Photo editor: Viacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yuliia Futei
