Russia attacks cafe in Kharkiv region: number of victims rises to 52

The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, reported the information.

"52 people died as a result of this rocket attack. One person died in a medical facility. People are still there. The injuries are quite serious," the head said.

After the search operations were completed, 35 bodies were identified, according to Kharkiv police.

A total of 51 people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed by the Iskander missile strike. Three people are missing, and six injured are in hospital. 

The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, informed that a three-day mourning period has been declared in the Kharkiv region, which will last from October 6 to 8.

"The terrorist attack by the Russian military on the village of Hroza was the bloodiest crime of the Russians in the Kharkiv region since the beginning of the full-scale invasion," he said. 

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said during the telethon that the cafe was having a memorial dinner at the time of the strike, which is why there were so many people there. The village has a population of just over 300 people. According to him, the SBU is currently looking for the gunner of the Russian strike.

"The missile strike was so precise, it was a small enough room to hit it so accurately. That is why the Security Service and the police suspect that we can definitely check this option (of a Russian missile being guided by a local - ed.)," Klymenko said. 

The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration reported about the strike. 

"Today at about 1:15 pm Russians attacked a cafe and a grocery store in the village of Hroza, Kupyansk district, where there were many civilians. Rescuers continue to work at the site. As of now, the bodies of 48 dead people, including a 6-year-old boy, have been removed from under the rubble," he wrote.

According to him, 6 people, including one child, were injured. Doctors are providing them with the necessary assistance.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General's Office reported 50 dead and 7 wounded.

"According to the investigation, on October 5, at about 1:25 pm, the Russian military attacked the village of Hroza, Kupyansk district. A civilian object, a village cafe, was hit. As of now, 49 people have been killed, including a child, and 7 wounded," the statement said.

Proceedings have been opened for violation of the laws and customs of war.

Responses

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the attack.

"It is indicative of a brutal Russian crime – a missile strike on an ordinary grocery store, an absolutely deliberate terrorist attack... Russian terror must be stopped. Anyone who helps Russia circumvent sanctions is a criminal. Everyone who still supports Russia is supporting evil. Russia needs this and similar terrorist attacks for only one thing: to make its genocidal aggression the new normal for the whole world. And I thank every leader, every nation that supports us in protecting life!" he wrote on Telegram.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine desperately needs air defense systems and offensive weapons.

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović-Burić tweeted: "I strongly condemn the Russian attack on a grocery store in Kupyansk, which has resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the authorities who face another unspeakable tragedy."

In turn, German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jaeger wrote: "The killing of civilians is a war crime. What happened today in the village of Hroza is brutal and inhuman."

He emphasized that Russia must be brought to justice.

British Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris also reacted to the Russian shelling. 

"I was horrified to learn the news of Russia's barbaric strike on the village of Hroza and the deaths of dozens of civilians. My sincere condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. We must defeat this evil," he wrote on Twitter.

• On October 2, Russian troops launched missiles at Kharkiv from the territory of Russia.