KI logo
War

Russian missile strike on Kharkiv Oblast kills 3, wounds 15, including 3 children

• 2 min read
Avatar
by Asami Terajima
Russian missile strike on Kharkiv Oblast kills 3, wounds 15, including 3 children
A photo of the attack site where two Russian missiles hit the center of Balakliia in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, shared by Vitalii Karabanov, the head of the town's military administration. (Vitalii Karabanov/Telegram)

An overnight Russian missile strike on the town of Balakliia in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast killed three and wounded 15, including three children, local authorities reported on Nov. 17.

Head of Balakliia's Military Administration Vitalii Karabanov reported that two Russian missiles hit an area near apartment buildings in the center of the town. He said that the children wounded in the attack were born in 2007, 2010, and 2011.

Since Russian troops intensified their offensive in the eastern part of Kharkiv Oblast this year, such attacks on towns and villages further from the front have increased. Balakliia was captured by Russian troops at the beginning of the full-scale war, until Ukraine liberated it during the Fall 2022 counteroffensive.

Balakliia is located over 60 kilometers from the front.

Become a member – go ad‑free

Karabanov said that nine of the wounded victims were hospitalized, and that the rescue operation continued as of 4 a.m.

"Unfortunately, calls about possible victims continue to come in," Karabanov said in his Telegram post.

read also

What the fall of Pokrovsk would mean for Ukraine — and Russia
With Russia throwing enormous forces into Pokrovsk to finally capture the eastern coal-mine city, questions are rising over what will happen next and whether Ukraine is ready. Taking advantage of foggy weather that hampers drones to ramp up the offensive, Russian troops are trying to end the more than a yearlong battle. After capturing what’s left of Pokrovsk, Russian troops would likely push toward the town of Dobropillia to the north, according to Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with the Finland-b
The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima
Russian attackKharkiv OblastRussian offensiveUkraine
Avatar
Asami Terajima

Reporter

Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.

Read more

Most Popular

News Feed
Sunday, December 28
Video
Ukraine This Year: a year of stalled peace and escalating war.

In this year-end wrap-up of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur looks back at the moments that defined 2025, the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine — from stalled peace efforts and escalating Russian attacks to mass anti-corruption protests and political upheaval at home.

Sunday, December 28
Show More

Editors' Picks