On August 26, 2026, Russian occupiers carried out a double drone strike on a business center in Lozova in the Kharkiv region. This was announced by the city mayor, Serhiy Hrytsenko, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. According to him, at least 10 people were injured as a result of the attacks, and some of the victims are in critical condition. The city council emphasizes that the threat of new drone strikes remains in the city at the time of publication.
Timeline of the double strike
According to the mayor's statement, the first hit by a 'Geran'-type drone on the three-story shopping center was recorded at 15:03. Forty minutes later, Russian forces paused and delivered a second strike on the same location. Hrytsenko noted that the building caught fire, and the surrounding apartment blocks were also damaged. A repeated strike on the same point after a pause, in the mayor's assessment, indicates the deliberate nature of the attack.
Consequences and the condition of the injured
As a result of the two strikes, according to city council data, at least 10 people were injured; some of them are in critical condition. The fire damage to the business center led to damage to the adjacent residential high-rise buildings. The mayor of Lozova also warned that the threat of new drone attacks in the city persists, which requires residents to observe safety rules and be ready to evacuate upon the air raid alert.
Mayor's assessment: a calculation for maximum casualties
Serhiy Hrytsenko characterized the repeated strike as a "deliberate calculation for maximum casualties." According to him, the attack was carried out during working hours, when shops, medical and social institutions were located near the business center, and therefore the potentially maximum number of people. This characterization underscores that the choice of target and the timing of the strike were aimed at increasing the number of casualties among the civilian population.
Context: massive drone attack on Ukraine
The strike on Lozova occurred against the backdrop of a large-scale drone attack. As RBC-Ukraine recalls, on the night of August 26, Russia struck Ukraine with 162 attack drones from five directions; air defense forces shot down most of the enemy drones, however, hits were recorded. In the morning of the same day, Russian occupiers struck Chernihiv, as a result of which a private residential house caught fire and was virtually destroyed by the fire. In addition, "Gazseti" facilities in two regions were hit: there is damage, and one employee was injured. The incident in Lozova became one of the most severe points of these attacks in terms of the number of casualties.
