Pisochyn and Ivano-Frankivsk: six killed in Russian strikes on Sunday evening

Pisochyn: a strike on a residential area

On the evening of 11 October, at around 19:25, Russian forces carried out a missile strike on the settlement of Pisochyn in Kharkiv district, the closest suburb of Kharkiv. According to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office, the missile hit a densely built residential area near apartment blocks and grocery shops. A fire broke out and was later put out.

Three people were killed: a 16-year-old boy, a 19-year-old woman and a 51-year-old woman. Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov first reported nine injured, then 20 and 22. At 22:44 the National Police gave an updated figure: 25 people hurt, including two children. An eight-year-old girl with blast injuries was taken to hospital, and a 13-year-old girl suffered acute stress.

According to the regional administration, a grocery store building, two apartment blocks, a private house and five cars were damaged. Prosecutors opened a criminal investigation under Article 438 of the Criminal Code (war crimes).

The strike came on the same evening that President Volodymyr Zelensky reported an attack on Kharkiv’s CHP-5 power plant — after Donald Trump had announced an “energy ceasefire”.

Ivano-Frankivsk: a jet-powered drone

Almost at the same time, at 19:15, explosions were heard in Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine. At 19:09 the Air Force had warned of a jet-powered drone heading for the city; the all-clear came at 19:54.

Regional governor Svitlana Onyshchuk first reported two dead and one injured. One of the wounded later died in hospital. Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv said in a video address that three servicemen were killed and three more wounded, with no threat to their lives. According to him, no civilians were hurt.

The mayor said apartment buildings, commercial premises and a hotel were damaged.

Izium: a night strike

Overnight into 12 October, at around midnight, Russian forces struck Izium in Kharkiv region, preliminarily with a “Banderol” loitering munition. According to the Izium military administration, it hit a road in the northern part of the town. At least one person sought medical help; around 15 private houses and one apartment block were damaged, and several streets lost power and internet.

Context

According to the President’s Office, in the past week alone Russia killed 153 people in Ukraine and injured 723, using about 1,450 aerial bombs, more than 1,640 attack drones and 75 missiles. Sunday’s attacks show that strikes continue both on frontline cities and on western regions that were long seen as relatively safer.