In Hroza, a silent village nestled in Northeastern Ukraine, every family currently tastes the bitter reality of war, as confirmed by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The stark landscaped transformed on an ill-fated Thursday, the day a lethal missile strike claimed the lives of 52 villagers. Among the deceased, an 8-year-old boy succumbed while attending a wake hosted in a local café. The tragedy imprinted on every household, with each family losing someone to the missile’s wrath.
Though the defense ministry of Ukraine hurled accusations at Russia for what appeared like an unprovoked attack, Russian authorities remained mum. Russia’s state news agency, Ria Novosti, shifted focus to the 20 airstrikes launched by Russian forces targeting districts in Kupyansk, including Hroza, yet they remained veiled about the exact timeline or the devastated Hroza.
The preceding Friday announced more devastation as Russia resumed its missile strikes in Kharkiv city, resulting in the death of a 10-year-old boy and multiple injuries, affirmed by Mayor Ihor Terekhov. The Russians presumably employed Iskander ballistic missiles in this assault. As the day proceeded, rescuers sifted through the rubble to find a woman’s lifeless body— the grandmother of the deceased boy.
Turn the clock back to the fateful Thursday; Hroza villagers were in the midst of bidding their final farewell to a local, Wartime hero, when the missile disrupted their mournful gathering. The tragic death tally included the late soldier’s widow, son, and daughter-in-law.
Once lunch was served at the dim café cum grocery store, there was no inkling of the looming terror. As the missile struck and stole lives instantly, Hroza, a humble abode to 330 souls, nearly lost one-fifth of their population, as stated by Minister Klymenko. Inside sources suggest the destructive Iskander missile targeted the building.
The tip of Hroza’s immense grief is this grave incident, coined as the region’s “bloodiest crime” by Regional Head Oleh Syniehubov. Echoing similar sentiments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the act as unfathomably cruel. To honor the village’s loss, a three-day mourning period commences from Friday in Kharkiv region.
Shedding light on the potential catalyst, Maria Avdeeva, a Ukrainian security analyst, pointed at a possible leak of information about the private wake. Despite Russian propaganda, Avdeeva confirmed the ceremony was primarily civilian.
Internationally, the attack received flak. Echoing Ukrainian sentiments, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak underscored the incident as a testament to the appalling extent Russian forces could stoop to.
The US showed a contrast in reactions. While the White House expressed horror over the incident, extending support to Ukrainians, the idea of continued funding for Ukraine received mixed reception in the House of Representatives.
Kupyansk district, always a hotbed for Russian-Ukrainian conflicts, had witnessed the start of the full-scale invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February. Initially serving as a supply hub for Russian forces, Kyiv wrestled to reclaim it months later. The recent incident thus deepens the scar of war, rekindling bitter memories and fears.
