Russians hit drama theater in the center of Chernihiv with ballistic missiles: there are dead and wounded

On the morning of Saturday, August 19, 2023, the Russian occupiers fired a ballistic missile at the center of Chernihiv. The shelling of the Drama Theater killed 7 people, including a child, and injured at least 36

This was reported by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, Espresso reports.

According to him, at 14:17 the death toll from the Russian attack increased to 7 people – rescuers found the body of another woman.

At the same time, 90 injured people sought medical care, including 12 children and 10 police officers. Twenty-five people were hospitalized. In addition, a 12-year-old girl is urgently transported by ambulance to Kyiv. The child is in a serious condition.

Interior Minister Klymenko also added that a fire broke out on the roof of one of the buildings. Rescuers promptly extinguished the fire. 20 investigative teams of Chernihiv police and 2 forensic laboratories are working at the scene.

The day before, he said on the air of the telethon that as of 13:30, 6 people had died in Chernihiv. A 6-year-old girl’s heart stopped in the hospital. According to Klymenko, her mother is in extremely serious condition.

“The girl who died is the sixth victim in six years. The patrol policemen tried to provide first aid, applied a tourniquet, there was a very large blood loss. Unfortunately, doctors could not save her,” said the Interior Minister.

Also, 36 people were wounded and taken to medical facilities. Among the injured are police officers and court security officers.

“These are all civilians who were either on the central square of Chernihiv or leaving the nearest church after the consecration of fruit,” explained the Interior Minister.

He noted that the Russian missile hit the Palace of Culture on the city’s central square. The shock wave damaged the roofs of five-story buildings.

Earlier, Klymenko confirmed that the Russian missile strike hit the Drama Theater in the center of Chernihiv. As of 13:00, 42 people were reported injured.

According to the State Emergency Service, a Russian ballistic missile strike destroyed the roof of the drama theater, followed by a fire. The windows of 3 state fire and rescue units were also damaged.

In addition, on the air of the telethon, Oleksandra Denysenko, a correspondent from the scene, reported that an exhibition of drone manufacturers was taking place in Chernihiv during the Russian missile strike.

“There was an exhibition of drone manufacturers. And that’s where the arrival was,” she said.

The journalist added that it was probably an Iskander missile, but this is unconfirmed information. According to her, the explosion occurred 5 minutes after the air raid was announced, the missile hit the city center.

Later, Maria Berlinska, a co-organizer of the drone exhibition, posted on her Facebook page that the event was stopped during the air alert, and participants were repeatedly told to take cover. However, according to her, some people went outside.

“There was a strike, but the official authorities have to say where and when… Everyone who went to the shelter is safe. I personally went to the shelter a minute before the strike,” the co-organizer wrote.

She also added that the event and its location had been officially agreed with the local authorities in advance.

“We are currently working with the SBU to provide all the necessary data for the operational investigation. Prior to that, in coordination with local authorities, events were held in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv,” Berlinska emphasized.

The event was also announced the day before on the Victory Drones telegram channel. It invited manufacturers, the military, flying schools, and socially responsible businesses to demonstrate drones.

The event was scheduled for Saturday, August 19, at 10:00. At the same time, the organizers did not specify the exact venue. Only registered and verified participants were informed of the specific location a few hours before the event. It is noted that the event was held jointly with the Chernihiv Regional Defense Association and the Brave1 Defense Technology Cluster.

At the same time, the press service of the Chernihiv City Council stated that the exhibition had not been approved by the local authorities. According to them, “no permits were granted”.