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Children among dozens injured as Russian glide bombs hit Kharkiv, 3 dead

• 2 min read
Children among dozens injured as Russian glide bombs hit Kharkiv, 3 dead
The scene of a Russian glide bomb attack on Kharkiv on Oct. 5, 2025 (Kharkiv Life/Telegram)

At least three people have been killed, and 39 others, including children, injured after Russian forces struck Kharkiv with glide bombs on Oct. 5.

"The enemy attacked Kharkiv with at least three glide bombs (KABs), with strikes recorded in the Slobidskyi district," Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a post on Telegram.

"As a result of the strikes… warehouse buildings are on fire, and residential buildings have been damaged. There may be people under the rubble of a residential building that was hit in the attack. A search and rescue operation is underway," he added.

Russian glide bombs, often called KABs (Kerovana Aviabomba) in Ukraine, are repurposed aerial bombs equipped with wings and precision guidance systems such as GPS, laser, or infrared targeting.

Unlike traditional free-fall bombs, KABs can glide tens of kilometers before impact, allowing Russian aircraft — typically the Su-34 — to release them from a distance, safe from the operating range of Ukrainian air defense missiles or fighters.

Warhead sizes vary by model, ranging from about 300 kilograms to 3 metric tons, enough to destroy multistory buildings with a direct hit.

Russian forces use glide bombs against important, hardened, or entrenched targets, such as bridges, command posts, or drone teams spotted by reconnaissance assets.

Russia regularly launches fatal strikes on civilian infrastructure in cities across Ukraine as it continues to wage its war. Kharkiv is a frequent target given its proximity to the front line.

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Chris York

War editor

Chris York is war editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.

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