On the night of September 22, 2026, Russian occupation forces delivered one of the largest strikes in recent years on the Velykoburluckska settlement hromada in the Kharkiv region. According to hromada head Viktor Tereshchenko, enemy attacks continued non-stop from the evening until the very morning: 17 guided aerial bombs (KABs), three unmanned aerial vehicles, and reactive artillery were fired at the settlement. Tereshchenko reported this on the air of 'KHARKIV Today,' as cited by RBC-Ukraine.
Energy catastrophe and destroyed infrastructure
The strikes damaged residential buildings and power grids, while the local TV tower was completely destroyed. As Tereshchenko emphasized, it was only the day before the shelling that specialists managed to restore electricity after six days of a complete blackout, yet as a result of the night attack the hromada was once again left entirely without power. Velykyi Burluk has no mobile communication or internet, and gas supply has not been functioning for several years. Of all the municipal infrastructure, only the medical service and one pharmacy are still operational: ATMs and the 'Nova Poshta' branch ceased operations even earlier.
"Erasing entire streets": the daily threat from FPV drones
According to the hromada head, 20–30 FPV drones hover over Burluk every day, which, in his words, "erase entire streets." In particular, six KABs struck Dorozenko Street, and as a result, Tereshchenko reported, "bones are scattered across the cemetery, graves have been turned over." The occupiers are, in effect, destroying the settlement street by street, using guided aerial bombs and drones. Due to the constant danger, carrying out any reconstruction work in the hromada is impossible.
Demographics and geographical context
The settlement of Velykyi Burluk is located 20 kilometers from the state border with Russia. The intensity of enemy shelling in this area rose sharply several months ago. Despite the systematic attacks, as of September 2026, around 900 residents remain in the settlement out of the more than 2,700 people who previously lived in the hromada. All children from Velykyi Burluk were evacuated before the current escalation.
On a broad front: a night attack across Ukraine
The night of September 22 marked a massive strike on Ukraine as a whole: Russian occupiers employed missiles and drones, while air defense forces destroyed and suppressed 186 aerial targets. The Brovary district of Kyiv Oblast was also hit, where the attack set fire to warehouse and outbuildings and damaged private homes and vehicles. The strike on the Velykoburluckska hromada was part of this coordinated night operation.
