Kharkiv airstrike: three of 12 victims identified, 16 considered missing

Three of the 12 civilians who were killed in a Russian air raid targeting a home improvement hypermarket in Kharkiv on Saturday have identified. DNA verification is ongoing as regards other bodies found at the site of the strike.

That’s according to the Internal Affairs Minister, Ihor Klymenko, Ukrinform reports.

"The Russian strike took the lives of 12 people, another 43 were injured. Sixteen people are considered missing. The police investigative headquarters and the forensic lab are working at the scene of the tragedy... Three bodies have been identified so far. The identification effort is ongoing," Klymenko said.

According to the minister, 10 family members of those who went missing at the site produced their DNA samples to the police.

He called on those who have lost contact with their loved ones to reach out to the police.

Klymenko also reported that firefighters were tackling the blaze at the site of the impact for 16 hours. The fire engulfed some 13,000 square meters.

As reported, on May 25, Russia launched two aerial guided bombs at the Epicentr hypermarket in Kharkiv. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that as of Sunday morning, 12 people had been confirmed dead.