Night attack by Shahed drones: High-rise building hit in Kharkiv, four killed

On April 4th, the Russian army launched a night attack on eastern Ukraine using Shahed drones. Explosions rocked Kharkiv, resulting in a high-rise building being struck and the deaths of three rescuers and one civilian

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' Air Force confirmed the drone attack by Russia.

Kharkiv attacked 

At 01:41, Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv administration, reported that Kharkiv had been targeted by the occupiers at least four times: "Hits were observed on residential civilian buildings, and inspections by specialized services are ongoing."

Later, the head of the regional military administration noted that one high-rise building had suffered upper-floor damage due to enemy strikes. Damage to residential buildings in the private sector was also documented.

"Emergency medical personnel reported that two women experienced acute stress reactions at this time, but no hospitalization was necessary."

Oleh Syniehubov also confirmed the deaths of three rescuers during the subsequent attack on Kharkiv: "The enemy launched another strike during the cleanup efforts."

The mayor of Kharkiv further confirmed the casualties among the State Emergency Service personnel. He mentioned a fire breaking out at the scene of one of the impacts: "Sections of a residential building collapsed onto another. Currently, we are aware of three impacts on residential buildings."

As a result of the strike on a panel high-rise building in Kharkiv, four people were injured and one died, according to Tetyana Tsybulnyk, head of the administration of the Novobavarskyi district, speaking to Suspilne. She stated that a fire broke out in a three-story building at the impact site and expressed concern for a resident who may be trapped under the rubble.

Around 03:00, a UAV attack threat was repelled.

At 03:00, Syniehubov reported four fatalities: "The body of a civilian woman was discovered, and at least five civilians were injured. Three individuals were admitted to medical facilities, with one in serious condition."

Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported five fatalities: "We have four casualties at the site of the residential building strikes in a densely populated district of Kharkiv. Additionally, five people were injured. In another part of the city, we previously confirmed one fatality due to a strike in the private sector."

He also warned of possible power outages in certain areas of Kharkiv and assured that all emergency, communal services, and volunteers were engaged in the response efforts.

At 04:00, the regional military administration reported at least 10 injuries. A 49-year-old man is in serious condition, while others have moderate to light injuries. Among the injured is a nurse from the Regional Center for Emergency Medical Assistance, who was hurt during the response.

At 04:15, another explosion occurred in Kharkiv, according to Suspilne.

Around 6 a.m., the State Emergency Service confirmed four fatalities, including three rescuers.

"Rescuers responding to a call were hit by drones multiple times. Two died at the scene, and another died en route to the hospital. One rescuer was also injured. Three emergency services vehicles were damaged," the message states.

In the morning, Terekhov reported that a Shahed drone struck a 14-story building, causing damage to multiple floors and the outer wall.

According to him, one of the casualties was an emergency medical nurse who arrived with the brigade to provide assistance.

In total, 12 people were injured in the attack, according to the mayor.

Syniehubov clarified that a 69-year-old woman died from a drone striking the 14-story building. The upper floor balconies were partially destroyed, and structural elements were damaged.

Serhiy Zhdanov, a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council and an employee of the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, told Espreso that the Russians deliberately targeted rescuers and civilians.

"The Russians used terrorist tactics, deploying two waves of Shahed drones to target rescuers and others, possibly aiming for additional victims. After the first wave hit a residential building in the Novobavarskyi district, they waited for rescuers to arrive and struck again," he said.

Attack in southern Ukraine

Around 02:30, the AFU Air Force reported another group of Shahed drones attacking from the south toward Mykolaiv. Later, the drones continued toward Kropyvnytskyi.

The drones then moved to Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Kryvyi Rih regions. Around 04:40, they entered the Kharkiv region.