At the site of the strike on the Epicenter mall in Kharkiv, 14 out of 16 victims have been identified. Among them is a 17-year-old teenager, citing Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the Investigation Department of the Kharkiv Regional Police.
"Thanks to DNA research, we have already been able to identify twelve victims of the enemy strike. The identities of two others were established almost immediately on site," he said.
Specifically, according to him, the body found in the morning belonged to 17-year-old Kyrylo.
"The boy lived in Kharkiv and, like dozens of other residents, came to the hypermarket that day. He was identified by DNA samples that were provided by the victim's mother," Bolvinov said.
Later, the remains of another victim were found in the rubble.
"The remnants of work clothes indicate that this is one of the hypermarket employees. Identification is ongoing. The current number of deceased stands at 16," the law enforcement officer said.
The search operation continues. Identification is also ongoing.
Kharkiv shelling
On May 25, Russian forces shelled Kharkiv, hitting the Epicenter hypermarket and the city center. At the time of the strike, the hypermarket was crowded with visitors and staff.
Last night, on May 26, it was reported that 16 people had been killed, and more than 40 were injured. According to the latest data, five people are still missing.
Additionally, the number of those injured as a result of the missile strike on the center of Kharkiv has reached 25. May 27 has been declared a day of mourning in Kharkiv.
