On 26 August, Russian troops attacked a business centre in Lozova, Kharkiv Oblast, on two occasions. At least 10 people were injured, some of them seriously, according to the mayor, Serhiy Zelenskyy. A fire broke out in the building after the first strike, and nearby high-rise blocks were damaged.
Briefly about the main points
- Russian troops carried out two strikes on one area of Lozova.
- A major fire broke out in the business centre following the first strike.
- Several-storey buildings near the site of the attack have been damaged.
- Medical staff are assisting the injured, and the emergency services are on the scene.
- The authorities are asking people not to approach the area where strikes have taken place whilst there is a risk of further attacks.
Fire and damage in a residential area
The business centre is situated in a densely populated residential area. There are shops, medical and social services nearby, and the attack took place during working hours when there were many people in the vicinity.
The first strike caused a major fire in the building. The blast wave and debris damaged nearby high-rise residential blocks.
Some time later, Russian forces struck the same area a second time. According to Zelenskyy, following the pause, there may have been civilians and emergency service personnel at the site of the first strike.
Assistance for those affected and a warning from the authorities
Medical staff are treating the injured, whilst the emergency services continue to work at the scene of the attack. Details regarding the nature of the injuries and the full extent of the damage are still being ascertained.
The mayor urged residents not to approach the sites of the strikes and not to ignore them air-raid sirens due to the risk of further attacks.
Previous attacks and the evacuation centre in the city
This is not the first Russian attack on the Lozova community this month. On 23 August, a drone struck railway infrastructure in the Lozova district: two women were killed and five other people were injured, including an 11-year-old girl.
Lozova serves as a transit point for the evacuation of residents from frontline areas in the Kharkiv region. According to the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, the evacuation centre received 298 people in the past 24 hours alone, and more than 55,000 evacuees have passed through it since it began operating.
