Key facts
- A Russian drone strike hit the Kharkiv Art Museum on June 14.
- The attack resulted in a major fire and injured four women and a 1-month-old infant.
- Emergency crews and volunteers worked to evacuate museum exhibits.
- Firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze at the cultural heritage site.
- The museum houses a collection of approximately 25,000 artworks.
A Russian drone strike on the evening of June 14 hit the Kharkiv Art Museum in Ukraine's northwestern city of Kharkiv, causing a major fire and injuring four women and a 1-month-old infant. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported the incident, describing it as "another act of Russian terrorism" and a "cynical blow to a cultural and historical heritage site." The infant girl was hospitalized, while the women were reported in stable condition. Emergency response efforts are ongoing, with rescue crews, municipal workers, volunteers, and residents working to evacuate the museum's collection of approximately 25,000 artworks. Firefighters are battling the blaze, which reportedly engulfed an area of over 1,200 square meters. The museum, designed by architect Oleksiy Beketov, houses works by prominent Ukrainian painters like Taras Shevchenko and Illia Repin, as well as famous Russian artists. This attack follows a pattern of Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's cultural sites, including previous damage to the Kharkiv Art Museum in 2022 and recent attacks on Kyiv's National Art Museum and other cultural institutions.