Russian Strikes Injure Seven in Donetsk Oblast and Two Children in Kharkiv
Russian strikes on 23 October injured at least nine civilians in Donetsk Oblast and Kharkiv, including children, as part of a wider wave of attacks across a dozen Ukrainian regions that killed two in Kyiv and dozens more elsewhere. [4]
Civilian Casualties in Donetsk Oblast
On 23 October at 06:40, Sloviansk came under Russian attack, injuring a 53-year-old man. [1] Later the same day, Russian forces attacked the settlement again and struck a car, causing a resident to sustain physical injuries. [1] In the morning, Kramatorsk was targeted at 07:35 and 09:30 when Russian forces used FPV drones to injure a 65-year-old woman who was inside a car and a 29-year-old civilian man. [1] In the afternoon, another attack on Kramatorsk injured three city residents aged between 36 and 56 near a market. [1] All of the injured in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk were diagnosed with blast injuries, shrapnel wounds and concussions. [1] The type of weapon used in the afternoon strike near the market in Kramatorsk is being established. [1]
Strikes and Damage in Kharkiv
Russian strikes injured civilians in Donetsk Oblast and Kharkiv regions on 23 October. — Source: anadolu
At around 10:55 on 23 October, Russian forces attacked the Osnovianskyi district of Kharkiv with two drones, preliminarily identified as Geran-3 types. [3] The strikes damaged a house, a four-storey building, a circus building and cars. [3] A subsequent strike involved a jet-powered Shahed and caused a car to catch fire. [3] A 13-year-old boy was diagnosed with an acute stress reaction. [3] After the latest strike, two people were reported injured, including a 12-year-old girl, with both suffering primarily from acute stress reactions. [3] Strikes also hit a multi-storey building and another civilian facility. [3]
Broader Overnight Attacks Across Ukraine
Air raid sirens sounded throughout the night and into the day in Kyiv, where two people were killed and more than 30 other people wounded. [4] Two women aged 50 and 60 were killed and dozens more people were wounded in an attack on a crowded market in the eastern city of Lozova. [5] In all, a dozen Ukrainian regions were hit overnight, including residential houses, energy sites, shops, cafes and a monastery damaged in Kyiv. [4] The strikes came after the Kremlin said it was willing to restart trilateral talks with Kyiv and Washington next month, but dismissed new ideas brought by Witkoff that were developed with European countries and Ukraine. [5] Two were wounded in the Moscow region after Ukraine launched its own large-scale drone attack. [4]
Evacuation Orders for Frontline Towns
Russian strikes damaged buildings and injured two children in Kharkiv on 23 October. — Source: ukrainskapravda
All families and children were told to evacuate the frontline towns of Kramatorsk and neighbouring Sloviansk in the east after a spate of attacks killed dozens of civilians. [5] The attacks in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk prompted orders for all families and children to evacuate the frontline towns. [4] The decision followed the recent spate of deadly attacks on those locations. [5]
Zelenskyy's Reaction and Peace Talk Context
Ukraine on Thursday accused Russia of failing to change its position on the war by firing a wave of ballistic missiles just after US envoy Steve Witkoff met President Vladimir Putin to discuss the resumption of peace talks. [5] Zelenskyy stated the strikes began almost immediately after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin, demonstrating no real change in Russia's attitude toward the war. [4] He added that this means there has been no real change in its attitude towards everything that is happening. [5] Zelenskyy warned of more strikes to come and suggested that Moscow was clearly taking advantage of the slowdown in air-defence supplies from partners. [4] Ukraine has repeatedly called on its allies, including the United States, to supply it with advanced US-made Patriot interceptors to shoot down missiles and fast-moving attack drones. [5] In Brussels, NATO said it was allowing Ukraine to buy weapons through the alliance's central procurement agency on a case-by-case basis. [4]
Legal and Medical Response
Under the specified facts, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated under Article 438.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. [1] All injured were provided with medical treatment. [1] The prosecutor's office reported the details of the attacks on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. [1]
What to watch next: Zelenskyy warned of more strikes to come while Ukraine continues to seek advanced US-made Patriot interceptors, as NATO allows case-by-case weapons purchases through its central procurement agency.
