Two police officers killed in Russian drone strike on civilian evacuation unit in Kupiansk district
Two Ukrainian police officers were killed, and another was injured after a Russian drone struck an evacuation vehicle in Kharkiv Oblast's Kupiansk district on Feb. 20, the National Police reported.
The officers were members of the "White Angels" evacuation unit and were carrying out a mission to evacuate civilians when their armored vehicle was hit near the village of Serednii Burluk.
The police said the vehicle was attacked by a Russian Lancet loitering munition. Officers Yuliia Keleberda, 23, and Yevhen Kalhan, 39, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. Another officer suffered injuries.
The "White Angels" unit has been operating since the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion, evacuating civilians from front line and high-risk areas, including children, elderly people, and persons with disabilities.
"They carried out numerous missions to the most dangerous settlements, evacuating dozens of families, including children, elderly people, and persons with disabilities. They repeatedly risked their lives to save others. Sadly, this evacuation became their last," the Police said.
Keleberda is survived by her parents. Kalhan is survived by his wife, mother, a 16-year-old son, and a 7-year-old daughter.
Earlier in the spring of 2026, Russian forces targeted a Ukrainian volunteer's evacuation vehicle with three FPV drones during what Moscow called an Easter ceasefire, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
