Russian guided bombs target school in Kherson, injuring 18 civilians

A Russian air strike on the central district of Kherson, southern Ukraine, has left 18 people injured and caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools. 

Russian forces have increasingly employed guided bombs in attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, which constitute war crimes. These precision-guided munitions allow Russian forces to strike targets with greater accuracy than traditional artillery or unguided rockets. The Russians occupy a part of Kherson Oblast, so their close proximity to Ukrainian-controlled territory allows them to terrorize the civilian population and disrupt daily life with constant strikes. 

The attack, which occurred on the morning of 7 October, involved four guided aerial bombs dropped on the city center. Two educational institutions and several multi-story residential buildings were damaged in the bombardment, according to Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson City Military Administration.

One of the bombs struck a school in Kherson, where construction of an underground anti-radiation shelter has been underway for over a month, according to Most: Kherson media. The publication reports that the bomb hit the school building, potentially saving workers at the nearby construction site.

People living in houses near the school directly associate the strike with the construction, suggesting locals believe the shelter project may have been targeted.

Among the injured were nine women and six men, ranging in age from 32 to 76 years old.  Two children aged 3 and 5 were also injured.

Fifteen of the wounded were hospitalized, while one received medical treatment at the scene. An 18-year-old man later sought medical help for mine-explosive injuries and leg lacerations and will continue treatment as an outpatient.

The air strike also reportedly damaged at least six apartment buildings in the vicinity, shattering windows and damaging facades.

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