--- title: "Tragedy in Kharkiv: Five Rescuers Killed in a Second Strike While Fighting a Fire" description: "Tragedy in Kharkiv: five SES rescuers were killed in a second strike while fighting a fire. The Minister of Internal Affairs called them heroes without weapons. In Kyiv, massive attacks continue, residential buildings and the Lavra are burning, and hundreds of thousands are left without power. πŸš’πŸ”₯πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦" date: 2026-06-15T00:08:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/tragedy-in-kharkiv-five-rescuers-killed-in-second-strike-while-fighting-fire tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Tragedy in Kharkiv: Five Rescuers Killed in a Second Strike While Fighting a Fire ![Rescuers in protective gear extinguish a fire at night in Kharkiv after a second shelling, with a fire truck and its headlights on nearby](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/15/tragediya-v-harkove-pyat-ego-spasateley-pogibli-pri-povtornom-obstrele/tragediya-v-harkove-pyat-ego-spasateley-pogibli-pri-povtornom-obstrele-1.webp) The night hours in Kharkiv proved fatal for five employees of the State Emergency Service (SES). The rescuers died as a result of a second missile strike by the Russian Armed Forces, which occurred while they were extinguishing the aftermath of a previous attack. ### Heroes Without Weapons Official confirmation of the tragedy came from the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko. In his statement, he called the deceased "heroes without weapons," emphasizing that they gave their lives to save others. According to the ministry, five rescuers were killed in the second strike, and at least five others were injured. "Unfortunately, Ukraine continues to lose those who save lives," the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs expressed his grief, offering condolences to the families of the deceased. ### Chronology of Attacks on Kharkiv Events unfolded against the backdrop of a series of massive strikes on the region. The day before, Kharkiv was subjected to several attacks. First, a strike hit the territory of the Kharkiv Art Museum, where victims sought medical help for acute stress reactions. Later, a fire broke out at a facility in the Kholodnohirskyi district of the city. The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, published footage from the scene showing a strong fire on the third floor of the building. It was the extinguishing of this fire that proved fatal for the group of rescuers. ### Massive Strike on Kyiv Parallel to the tragedy in the east, the capital of Ukraine also came under attack. On the night of Monday, June 15, Kyiv was subjected to a large-scale attack. The city is engulfed in numerous fires: residential and non-residential buildings, dormitories, warehouses, and cars are burning. Among the damaged objects is the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The consequences of the strike on the capital's energy infrastructure were significant: about 140,000 subscribers were left without electricity due to damage to power lines. Authorities have already confirmed the first casualties among the civilian population, with the number reaching ten people. Ihor Klymenko urged citizens to stay in safe places during air raid alerts, noting that civilian infrastructure is under attack, and services are continuing to work on eliminating the consequences of the attack.