Airstrike on Kharkiv hypermarket: death toll up to four, casualties rise to 38

Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, reported that the death toll of the Russian attack on a Kharkiv hypermarket had risen to four, Ukrinform learned.

"Unfortunately, four people have already been confirmed as killed," the report says.

At the same time, the National Police reported on Facebook that the casualty toll had increased to 38.

"There may still be people in the building. We are in contact with the administration. We know the approximate number of people with whom contact was lost. In addition, visitors could be there, but the exact number of victims will be known only after the fire is put out," said Kharkiv Region Police Chief Volodymyr Tymoshko.

Among the wounded are both store visitors and employees of the retail chain.

According to Tymoshko, all those killed and wounded are civilians, local residents who came to the store for shopping.

Aftermath of an enemy airstrike on the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv / Photo: Viacheslav Madievskyi, Ukrinform

Close to the scene of the terrorist attack, the police deployed an emergency headquarters. DNA samples are being taken from relatives of those who are considered missing after the strike. All those who have lost contact with their loved ones are advised to reach out to the investigators to submit their samples.

As reported by the press service of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, four wounded are in serious condition.

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported that the Russian army hit the city with two UMPB D30-SN aerial guided bombs. The strikes were launched from the territory of Russia’s Belgorod region.

Video: Official channel of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

"Contact was lost with eleven hypermarket employees. The rescue operation is ongoing. Prosecutors and police detectives are working at the scene, documenting a war crime. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Art. 438 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the prosecutor's office said.

Video from the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko

As reported by Ukrinform citing initial reports from the ground, two people were killed and 24 injured at the site of the Russian bombing.