Key facts
- Four rescuers were killed and six injured in a Russian double-tap missile strike in Kharkiv.
- The attack occurred after rescuers arrived at the scene of an earlier strike.
- A total of five people were killed, including four emergency responders and a city emergency services department staff member.
- The strike was part of a larger Russian assault on Ukraine that also targeted Kyiv.
- The EU adopted new sanctions against Russia targeting energy revenues, the military-industrial complex, and propagandists.
- Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed soldiers declining new contracts will continue serving until demobilization.
A Russian double-tap missile strike in Kharkiv killed four rescuers and injured six on June 15, as part of a broader assault on Ukraine. The attack occurred in the Kholodnohirskyi district around 1:30 a.m. local time, with initial drone strikes followed by missiles targeting first responders. Five people were killed in total, including a staff member of the city's emergency services department, and 13 others were injured, with five hospitalized.
Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that two injured individuals remain in serious condition. The State Emergency Service identified the deceased rescuers as Dmytro Boiko, Danylo Tishchenko, Serhii Makovetskyi, and Vadym Zinchenko. The fifth fatality was Oleksii Dorozhkin. One injured rescuer, Oleksandra Shchebilova, lost her right arm.
Kharkiv City Emergency Department Director Bohdan Hladkykh stated that one missile struck approximately 30 meters from rescuers who had moved from the site of the initial civilian enterprise hit. The attack on Kharkiv was one of several across Ukraine overnight, with a primary strike hitting Kyiv and causing dozens of casualties.
In parallel, the European Union adopted a new round of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy revenues, the military-industrial complex, and propagandists. EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas announced the measures, which include sanctions on 34 Russian individuals and 47 entities, as well as prominent propagandists and entities supporting Russia's military-industrial complex. The EU is also working on a 21st sanctions package expected to include measures on Russian energy imports.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry also clarified changes to military service rules, confirming that soldiers who do not sign new contracts will continue to serve until demobilization. These reforms, designed by Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, aim to address manpower shortages with new contract types offering fixed terms, upgraded compensation, and specific conditions for infantry and assault roles. Non-combat roles will see a pay increase, while infantrymen on the front line will receive significantly higher monthly pay. Contracts can be as short as 10 months for infantry and 24 months for other combat roles, with a grace period upon completion.