On the day of 8 September, Russian forces struck the 'Episenter' shopping centre in Pryluky, Chernihiv Oblast. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a post by the Chernihiv Oblast Police on Facebook. As of the time the statement was published, law enforcement officers and specialized services are working directly at the scene of the attack: they are documenting the consequences of the strike on a civilian facility and establishing the circumstances of the incident.
Response by law enforcement and specialized services
Following the attack, police investigative and operational teams, bomb disposal experts and representatives of other specialized services arrived at the shopping centre. Law enforcement officers are carrying out priority actions: they are examining the scene, documenting the consequences of the Russian strike and securing the 'Episenter' premises. According to the police, the cordon is necessary to ensure safety and to preserve traces that may be significant for the ongoing investigation.
Appeals to residents
Law enforcement officers urged residents not to approach the area that came under fire, to maintain a safe distance and to bear in mind the ongoing threat of a repeated attack. The police also reminded the public not to ignore air-raid alerts: when a danger is declared, people should follow the established safety rules and comply with the recommendations of the relevant services.
Context: a series of attacks on the chain's facilities
The attack in Pryluky comes against a backdrop of repeated strikes on 'Episenter' chain facilities. Thus, on 4 September, Russian forces attacked the 'Episenter' shopping centre in Mykolaiv six times within a single day. After the initial strikes, ten employees spent nearly a day trying to save the building from the fire: they fought the flames, climbed onto the roof, entered the interior and shut off damaged pipes. However, after further hits, the shopping centre could no longer be saved.
Conflicting data
There are significant inconsistencies between the statements of the parties involved and fact-checking materials. First, in the initial police statement cited by RBC-Ukraine, there is no mention of victims or the injured — it refers only to the work of services at the scene. At the same time, other outlets report deaths and injuries: according to LIGA.net, the ballistic missile strike on Pryluky killed three people and left at least 23 injured; glavred reports deaths and 'dozens of the injured'. Second, the outlet Focus.ua describes the strike as the destruction of 'Episenter' logistics centres and a factory in Kyiv Oblast, with one employee killed, which contradicts the version of a shopping centre in Chernihiv Oblast. Thus, the exact list of casualties, and even the specific facility/region targeted, do not yet match across open sources and require additional verification.
As of the evening of 8 September, official information on the number of casualties has not been confirmed by a single version. Law enforcement officers continue their work at the scene, while residents of Chernihiv Oblast are urged to observe safety measures and not approach the cordoned-off area.
