Investigators found an unexploded aerial bomb near the Kharkiv hypermarket that Russia targeted on May 25, killing over a dozen civilians, Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported on May 27.
Russia used two aerial guided bombs to hit the busy building materials hypermarket in Kharkiv on a Saturday afternoon, killing at least 18 people and injuring 48 others.
Investigators found a third aerial bomb around 80 meters from the hypermarket as operations to recover bodies from the burned wreckage of the building continued.
If the bomb had hit the hypermarket and exploded, "there could have been many more victims," the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said.
Investigators also found evidence that Russia adjusted fire on the building with the help of reconnaissance drones, which demonstrates Russia is deliberately aiming to harm civilians, the Regional Prosecutor's Office said.
Among the people killed in the strike were a 12-year-old girl and her mother, and a 17-year-old boy.
Kharkiv and the surrounding oblast are particularly vulnerable to guided bomb attacks due to the close proximity to the Russian border, as the bombs are launched from aircraft in Russian airspace.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched a total of 3,200 guided bombs against Ukraine in April alone.
Dinara Khalilova
(Updated: )
