Deaf teenager reportedly killed in Ukrainian missile strike on Ozon warehouse in Russia’s Belgorod

A 16-year-old deaf teenager, David Z., was killed in an August 30 Ukrainian missile strike on an Ozon warehouse in Belgorod, his relatives told the Russian Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti

According to relatives, David went in for a shift at the Belgorod Ozon warehouse on August 30. He had taken the warehouse job for extra money during summer break, and was in ninth grade at a special school because he was deaf. His father is deaf as well, and his mother is hard of hearing. The family has nine children in all, and David was the oldest.

“That day, he wasn’t working delivery — he went to the warehouse instead. And this tragedy happened to us,” the relatives said.

“We don’t know the details. We went to identify the body yesterday. This morning we went to the morgue, but they wouldn’t let us see him. They told us to contact a funeral home ourselves,” the relatives said.

David’s parents have already spent 90,000 rubles on funeral arrangements, and relatives have launched a fundraiser. Regional authorities have not yet contacted the family, according to the relatives. Two of David’s classmates, who were also working at the warehouse that day, were hospitalized.

Ukraine’s military carried out a missile strike on Belgorod on the afternoon of August 30. Initial reports described fires at a power plant and at warehouses leased by Ozon. The e-commerce company’s press service soon confirmed that a sorting center and delivery hub had been hit in the attack. Three people were killed in the strike on the city, and 16 were injured.