Russian drone strike on Kharkiv hurts 5, including a 4-year-old, and sets homes ablaze

As of 8:28 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Five people, including a 4-year-old child, were hurt when a Russian jet-powered drone struck the Osnovianskyi district of Kharkiv late Tuesday, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. The strike set off a large fire that burned across about 2,500 square meters.

Apartment and private homes, outbuildings and an industrial building caught fire, and multistory residential buildings, garages and cars were damaged, the emergency service said Wednesday morning. Rescuers worked at the scene under the threat of repeat strikes, it said.

How the night unfolded

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov first reported a strike on the Osnovianskyi district at about 10:40 p.m. local time Tuesday (4:40 p.m. ET). Shortly afterward he said an apartment building had been hit and that, according to the information available, people were trapped inside.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, initially reported two people hurt, including a 4-year-old boy. He later clarified that the child had suffered an acute stress reaction and was receiving medical care.

By late Tuesday, Syniehubov said four people had been hurt: women aged 32 and 65, a 56-year-old man and the 4-year-old boy. Three were hospitalized, he said. The emergency service put the number of injured at five on Wednesday morning. Syniehubov's daily summary on Wednesday listed slightly different ages for the injured men; GROKsiNEWS.com has not been able to reconcile the figures.

New strike Wednesday

Shortly before 1 p.m. local time Wednesday (about 6:55 a.m. ET), Terekhov and Syniehubov both reported a new combat drone strike on the Osnovianskyi district. Syniehubov said a fire had broken out and that information on casualties was still being established.

Across the Kharkiv region, Russian attacks hit the city of Kharkiv and 20 other communities over the previous day, Syniehubov said Wednesday morning.