Hroza missile strike kills dozens of civilians in Kharkiv Oblast
A look back at the attack on a shop and cafe in a Kharkiv Oblast village, and at the underground school announced two days earlier.
What happened in Hroza on 5 October 2023? Ukraine said Russia struck a store and cafe in the village, in Kharkiv Oblast, with a ballistic missile. The initial report was that at least 51 civilians had been killed.
The later account of the attack gives a higher toll. An Iskander ballistic missile hit residents gathered for a memorial service at the shop and cafe in Hroza, in Kupiansk Raion. The final count was 59 dead and at least 7 others injured. Among the dead was a six-year-old boy.
A school underground
Two days before the strike, on 3 October 2023, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov announced the construction of what was described as Ukraine's first underground school. It was meant to protect students from missile strikes.
The two reports from that week show the same danger to civilians in Kharkiv Oblast. One was an attack on a village shop and cafe. The other was a plan to move classrooms below ground in the regional capital.
