A Russian strike kills 51 in the Ukrainian village of Hroza as locals gather to hold a wake The youngest victim was a 6-year-old boy. Another child has been wounded.

Russia has carried out a sudden and deadly missile strike on the Ukrainian village of Hroza, located in the Kupyansk district of the Kharkiv region.

According to the most recent official figures, 51 local residents were killed as a result of the attack, in which an Iskander missile appears to have been used. The youngest victim was a 6-year-old boy. Another child was reported wounded, together with at least six others who sustained injuries.

According to Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov, a local cafe and a busy general store were hit by the munitions, around 1:15 p.m. local time. Citing local sources, Ukrainian reporter Anriy Tsapliyenko adds that a wake for a deceased resident, with many guests in attendance, was taking place at the cafe at the time of the attack, contributing to the death toll.

Ukraine’s Minister of the Interior Ihor Klymenko confirmed the information, writing that at least 60 people were gathered at the cafe at that time of the strike, in a village of 330 residents. “People might still be trapped under the rubble of the store and cafe,” Klymneko added. The rescue operation is ongoing.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has launched a probe into the tragedy as yet another instance of Russia violating the international laws and customs of war.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says he holds Russia responsible for the civilian deaths in Hroza. He called the strike a “conscious act of terror,” insisting that “Russian terror must be stopped.”

“Everyone who still supports Russia is supporting evil. Russia needs this and other terrorist acts for one reason, to make its genocidal aggression a new norm for the entire world. And I thank every leader and every nation who lend us their support in defending life!” Zelensky concluded.

The missile strike on Hroza has become the single deadliest Russian strike on the Kharkiv region since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, said a member of the region’s wartime administration Olena Shapoval. A three-day period of mourning will be observed in the region on September 6–9.