In a harrowing display of courage amidst chaos, Ukrainian emergency services, led by Major-General Oleksandr Volobuev, successfully rescued 48 children from a kindergarten in Kharkiv after it was struck by a Russian drone. The attack, which targeted the Honey Academy in the Kholodnohirsky district, left the building heavily damaged and filled with smoke and debris. Volobuev, a seasoned officer from Ukraine’s Civil Protection Service, was captured in a viral image carrying a young girl wrapped in his coat, her small pink shoes peeking out—a poignant symbol of the resilience of Ukraine’s most vulnerable. The rescue operation was fraught with danger, as the building’s roof had collapsed, and the threat of another strike loomed. Fedir Uhnenko, a press officer who joined the rescue efforts, recounted the tense moments of reassuring a young boy while navigating through the rubble. Despite the peril, all children were safely evacuated to a nearby emergency reception point. Tragically, one adult was killed, and nine others were injured in the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike, calling it an unjustifiable act of aggression. The incident underscores the escalating impact of Russia’s invasion on civilian life, with children increasingly bearing the brunt of the conflict. Both Volobuev and Uhnenko remain resolute in their determination to protect their nation and envision a peaceful future for the children they saved.
‘Heroes of Kharkiv’: How 48 children were saved from kindergarten hit by Russian drone
