Russian forces struck zoo in Kharkiv: several animals killed. PHOTO (updated)

On Monday, 15 June, Russian forces struck a local zoo in Kharkiv. Some animals have been injured.

This was reported by the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, according to Censor.NET.

Consequences of the shelling

"A strike in the Shevchenkivskyi district –– we are establishing the details. A strike on the zoo has been confirmed –– there is damage to the enclosures, and we are establishing further details. Reports are coming in of injured animals," Terekhov wrote.

Updated 18:40. The Regional Military Administration clarified that the occupiers struck the Shevchenkivskyi and Kholodnohirskyi districts of Kharkiv with drones. One of the UAVs hit the zoo grounds; a fire has broken out.

Debris has also been reported to have fallen onto the road. No information regarding casualties has been received.

Updated at 7:45 p.m. Several animals were killed in a Russian strike on the Kharkiv Zoo, according to the State Emergency Service. The report notes that the strike sparked a fire in an enclosure, which was extinguished by rescue workers. The animals were evacuated to a safe location.

A Russian drone crashed on the zoo grounds between the vivarium, where rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small animals were kept, the administrative building, and the Elephant House. At the same time, large animals and zoo employees were not harmed, Terekhov added.

Updated at 10:00 p.m. According to the latest reports, 10 rabbits were killed in a Russian drone attack on the zoo, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said. Earlier reports had indicated a higher number of animal casualties, but law enforcement officials added that, fortunately, those figures were not confirmed.

Massive attack on Ukraine on 15 June

Initial reports stated that a massive attack on Kyiv had left four dead and 25 injured, including two children. The death toll has now risen to five.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is on fire following the attack. Efforts are underway to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strikes.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the fire on the roof of the Assumption Cathedral has been extinguished. The attack damaged an academy, a nursery and over 20 buildings in Kyiv.
The building of the High Anti-Corruption Court on Khreshchatyk was also damaged.
According to the Air Force, Ukraine’s air defence forces shot down 632 targets during the Russian Federation’s massive strike.
It was also reported that five rescue workers were killed and others injured as a result of a second Russian strike on Kharkiv.
It later emerged that four rescue workers and Oleksii Dorozhkin, an employee of the Kharkiv Emergency Situations Department, had been killed.
Rescue workers Dmytro Boiko, Danylo Tishchenko, Serhii Makovetskyi, and Vadym Zinchenko were killed as a result of the Russian strike on Kharkiv.