Russian strikes kill two, injure several in Kharkiv Oblast; Metalist stadium hit by FPV drone
Over the past day, Russian forces struck Kharkiv city and 21 settlements across Kharkiv Oblast, killing two people and injuring others including four children, according to the head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov. The OSK Metalist stadium in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv was also hit by a Russian FPV drone on September 26, 2025, with its facade damaged and no casualties reported at the venue.
Key points
- Two people were killed and at least seven injured, including four children, across Kharkiv city and 21 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast over the past day (figures differ between sources).
- Near the village of Pytomnyk in the Derhachi community, a 50-year-old man was killed and a 73-year-old woman wounded; between the villages of Shuby and Sinne, a 50-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old boy wounded.
- In the village of Lebiazhe in the Prolisnenska community, a 13-year-old boy was wounded; a 56-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, and boys aged 12 and 5 suffered acute stress reactions.
- A 60-year-old man was wounded in Izium according to Syniehubov; a separate account reports a 60-year-old man wounded by the explosion of an unknown device in the village of Nyzhche Solone in the Borova community.
- A Russian FPV drone struck the OSK Metalist stadium in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv on September 26, 2025, damaging its facade; no casualties were reported at the stadium.
- The Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration said Russian forces used one missile, three MLRS rockets, one Geran-2 drone, two Molniya drones, 15 FPV drones, and 23 drones of an unidentified type.
- Across the oblast, strikes damaged residential buildings, vehicles, an ambulance, an internat facility, garages, a store, an administrative building, civilian enterprises, an apartment building, power lines, and the stadium in Kharkiv.
- The Lozova transit evacuation point accepted 185 people over the day; 62,012 people have been registered there since the start of its operation.
Why it matters
The strikes killed civilians and injured children in populated areas of Kharkiv Oblast, continuing a pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure across the region. The FPV-drone strike on the Metalist stadium — a venue that hosted UEFA Euro 2012 matches but has been unable to host games since the start of the full-scale invasion due to its proximity to the front line — illustrates the broader targeting of Ukrainian cultural and sports infrastructure. Reporting cited by Ukrainian outlets puts the number of Ukrainian stadiums damaged or destroyed by Russian forces since February 24, 2022 at 88, with 14 completely destroyed. The official toll came from Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, making it a documented statement from a Ukrainian regional authority.
What happened
Over the past day, Russian forces struck Kharkiv city and 21 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, killing two people and injuring several others, according to Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration. Among the dead were a 50-year-old man near the village of Pytomnyk in the Derhachi community and a 50-year-old man between the villages of Shuby and Sinne; a 73-year-old woman was wounded near Pytomnyk and a 16-year-old boy wounded between Shuby and Sinne. In the village of Lebiazhe in the Prolisnenska community, a 13-year-old boy was wounded and four other residents suffered acute stress reactions. Syniehubov said Russian forces used one missile, three MLRS rockets, one Geran-2 drone, two Molniya drones, 15 FPV drones, and 23 drones of an unidentified type. Damage was reported across multiple districts — Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk, Izium and Lozova — including residential buildings, vehicles, an ambulance in Prosianka, an internat facility in Shevchenkove, a store in Derhachi, an apartment building in Lebiazhe, power lines in Zarichne, and other civilian property. The Shevchenkivskyi and Slobidskyi districts of Kharkiv were struck by drones. On September 26, a Russian FPV drone hit the OSK Metalist stadium in the Slobidskyi district, damaging its facade; no casualties were reported at the venue. The Lozova transit evacuation point accepted 185 people over the day, with 62,012 registered there since the start of its operation.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on the total number of people injured in Kharkiv Oblast over the past day: one account gives eight injured, while another reports seven injured including four children. The accounts also diverge on whether the injured include a 60-year-old man wounded in Izium (per Syniehubov) or, separately, a 60-year-old man wounded by the explosion of an unknown device in the village of Nyzhche Solone in the Borova community. Ukrainian outlets also cite two cumulative figures for the number of stadiums damaged or destroyed in Ukraine since February 24, 2022 — "more than 80" in one account and 88 (with 14 completely destroyed) in another.
Background
The Metalist stadium, opened in 1926 and most recently reconstructed in 2009, hosted UEFA Euro 2012 matches as well as European club competitions and Ukrainian national team games. It has not held official matches since the start of the full-scale invasion because of its proximity to the front line; the club was scheduled to play its next home match on September 27 in Uzhhorod against Chernihiv. In August of the same year, Russian forces struck the Chornomorets stadium in Odesa, damaging its roof, glazing, and stands. Kharkiv has been a frequent target of Russian strikes throughout the full-scale invasion, and a transit evacuation point in Lozova has registered 62,012 people since the start of its operation.