Russian Iskander missile strike on Merefa kills five, injures 19

A Russian Iskander ballistic missile struck the town of Merefa in Kharkiv Oblast on May 4, killing five civilians and injuring 19, Ukrainian authorities said.

The missile hit the road surface at approximately 9:35 a.m., according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Three women and two men were killed. Four people died at the scene, and a severely injured woman died shortly after in hospital, Valeria Chyrina, a spokesperson for the regional prosecutor’s office, told the Ukrinform news agency.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, identified the victims as men aged 50 and 63 and women aged 74, 41, and 52. Nineteen people were injured or suffered acute stress reactions. Four of the injured were hospitalized in critical condition; 12 suffered moderate blast injuries, Syniehubov said.

The attack damaged residential buildings, utility buildings, shops, a restaurant, a car repair shop, and cars, according to the prosecutor’s office. Preliminary data from law enforcement indicated Russian forces used an Iskander ballistic missile.

A pre-trial investigation has been launched under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers war crimes resulting in loss of life.

The strike on Merefa was part of a broader Russian aerial assault. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 155 drones overnight into May 4, including Shahed-type UAVs and decoys. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 135 of them across the north, south, and east of the country, while 14 drones struck targets at 10 locations and debris from downed UAVs fell at four additional sites.