On the evening of June 15, a drone strike attributed to Russian forces targeted the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, impacting the local zoo. The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, confirmed the incident, noting that several enclosures were damaged and there were reports of injured animals.
The attack involved a Shahed drone, which struck between the vivarium housing small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, the administrative building, and the elephant house. Following the strike, zoo staff evacuated the animals to safer areas, and specialists assessed the damage. According to city officials, all larger animals remained unharmed.
Vladimir, a zoo employee, described the situation on-site, stating, “There were around 300 rabbits and a similar number of guinea pigs. The animals require live feed.” The local emergency services reported that some animals did not survive the attack, and a fire broke out in one of the enclosures, which firefighters managed to extinguish.
Rescue workers were seen tending to the affected animals, with reports indicating that small animals, including guinea pigs and mice, were particularly vulnerable. A psychologist from the emergency services was photographed rescuing a guinea pig from the vivarium.
In addition to the zoo, drone strikes were reported in the Shevchenkivskyi and Kholodnohirskiy districts of Kharkiv, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Syniehubov. Debris from the drone also fell onto a roadway, raising concerns about public safety in the area.
A drone strike in Kharkiv on June 15 caused damage to the local zoo, resulting in injuries and fatalities among small animals. Emergency services responded to the incident, evacuating animals to safety and extinguishing a fire that broke out in one of the enclosures.