Russia hits Kharkiv Oblast with new rocket-powered guided bomb for first time
Russian forces carried out their first guided bomb strike on the city of Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 18, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.
The attack took place at around 5:40 p.m. local time, hitting a residential neighborhood and damaging homes and outbuildings. Authorities initially reported six injuries, and later clarified the number to five. All victims are receiving medical treatment.
Investigators said the weapon was launched from Russian-occupied territory.
Authorities identified the weapon as a new rocket-powered guided aerial bomb, the UMPB-5R, capable of flying about 130 kilometers. Prosecutors said Russia used this type of bomb against Lozova for the first time. They also launched a pretrial investigation into possible war crimes.
The strike comes just two days after Mykolaiv authorities reported that Russian forces had used guided aerial bombs against their city for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion. On Oct. 16, two bombs hit the outskirts of Mykolaiv, regional governor Vitalii Kim said.
Kharkiv Oblast and its capital have faced relentless Russian attacks for more than two years, since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. In recent months, strikes on the city’s densely populated areas have intensified.
On Oct. 13, Russia attacked Kharkiv with KAB guided bombs, damaging a hospital and injuring at least six people. At the time of the attack, more than 100 patients were in the hospital, Oleksiy Dotsenko, director of the facility's surgical department, said in a comment to Suspilne Kharkiv.
