On 21 October 2026, Russian forces launched repeated attacks on Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, using guided aerial bombs and an FPV drone. One of the strikes, at around 5.00 pm, hit the central part of the city near high-rise residential blocks. Initially, local authorities reported five people injured, including two children. Subsequently, the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin, clarified that a total of at least eight people had been injured as a result of the Russian attacks that day, including two boys aged 7 and 13. Six blocks of flats, a hotel, a shop and cars were damaged.
- Russian troops attacked Sloviansk with guided aerial bombs and an FPV drone.
- At around 5.00 pm, a residential development in the city centre came under attack.
- Among those injured were two boys aged 7 and 13.
- Six blocks of flats, a hotel, a shop and three cars were damaged; a further five cars were destroyed.
- The Donetsk Regional Military Administration has urged residents, particularly families with children, to evacuate.
Russian aerial bombs struck near high-rise blocks in the centre of Sloviansk
According to the head of the Sloviansk City Military Administration Vadym Lyakh, at around 5.00 pm, Russian troops launched another attack on the city centre.
The strikes were recorded near blocks of flats. The attack caused fires and damaged cars and surrounding buildings.
Footage released from the scene shows rescue workers working amongst the wreckage of the mangled vehicles. The cars are engulfed in flames, and thick smoke is rising near a residential building.
Firefighters were extinguishing the fire and clearing up the aftermath of the shelling. The relevant services were assessing the extent of the damage.
Among those injured in Sloviansk are two children
The first reports of casualties emerged shortly after the air strike. Vadym Lyakh, head of the Sloviansk Municipal Administration, said that five people had been injured. Among them were two boys aged 7 and 13. A young woman was also injured; she had turned 18 just two days before the attack.
Later, the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Vadym Filashkin has released updated figures. According to him, as a result of several Russian strikes on Sloviansk on 21 October, the number of wounded has risen to at least eight.
Six high-rise blocks, a hotel and a shop were damaged
According to updated figures from the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, six blocks of flats, a hotel and a shop were damaged as a result of Russian attacks on 21 October.
At least eight cars were also affected. Three vehicles were damaged, whilst a further five were destroyed.
Fires broke out at the impact sites. According to the emergency services, seven cars and the hotel roof caught fire. Firefighters brought the blaze under control.
In addition, the shelling during the day caused fires on the second floor of a block of flats and in a private house. The fire brigade managed to extinguish all the fires.
The Donetsk Regional Military Administration has urged families with children to evacuate
Following the latest attacks on Sloviansk, the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin, once again appealed to residents of the region to leave for safer parts of Ukraine. He paid particular attention to families with children, emphasising that constant shelling pose a direct threat to the civilian population.
According to the regional governor, it is dangerous to delay the evacuation, as Russian troops continue to carry out strikes on residential areas.
To arrange evacuation, residents of the Donetsk region can call 0-800-500-121 or +380-73-050-01-21.
