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Update: Death toll of Hroza strike rises to 55

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Update: Death toll of Hroza strike rises to 55
Emergency workers are clearing the rubble at the site of the cafe, which was entirely destroyed by a Russian missile in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv Oblast, on Oct. 5, 2023. (Alexander Khrebet/Kyiv Independent)

The death toll of the Oct. 5 Russian missile strike against the village of Hroza in Kharkiv Oblast has risen to 55, Dmytro Chubenko, the spokesperson of the regional prosecutor's office, said on Oct. 11, Ukrinform reported.

Two more victims were identified by a DNA test over the past day, he said.

"Two more women, who were previously considered missing, were identified to be among the dead," Chubenko told reporters.

The official said that the identification of bodies is ongoing, and three people are currently considered missing.

"Based on the statements of the missing people's relatives, the death toll may increase to 58," Chubenko stressed.

According to the spokesperson, the identification process is difficult due to extensive injuries to the victim's bodies.

On Oct. 5, a Russian Iskander ballistic missile hit a grocery store and a cafe in Hroza during a memorial service for a fallen soldier who was being reburied in the village.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), two Ukrainian collaborators, locals of Kharkiv Oblast, assisted Russian forces with the attack.

‘Every family affected’: Devastated village copes with aftermath of Russian strike on funeral
Hroza, Kharkiv Oblast - Serhii Pletinka rushed to the scene just after a Russian Iskander-M missile struck a packed cafe in the village of Hroza in Kharkiv Oblast. A soldier on vacation who lives just across the street from the cafe was the first to witness the fire, screams, and
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Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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