Half the village is gone': Ukraine hamlet reels after missile strike

Tiny Ukrainian Village Loses Half Its Residents in Shocking Missile Attack

Aftermath of a Russian military strike in Kharkiv region

A Heavy Loss in Hroza

Residents of the small Ukrainian village of Hroza were met with devastation on October 6th, after a missile strike tragically ended the lives of at least 52 people. Aiming to honour a deceased soldier in a local cafe, the villagers were unsuspecting of the horror about to unfold in one of the deadliest attacks in 20 months of tumult.

Shock Gives Way to Grief

The sorrow was unimaginable as residents strived to make sense of the horrors that had befallen their close-knit community. Grieving over the loss of his 36 year-old daughter, Olya, as well as her husband, Valeriy Kozyr could only express his wish to have died in their stead. The sight of his grandchildren, now orphans at the ages of 10,15 and 17 only intensified the pain.

A Funeral In Uncertain Times

Preparations for funerals were in the process amidst the despair and shock. Three brothers mourned the loss of their parents in this gruesome attack, while confronting the reality of their neighbours being reduced to a mere 18 secure households. President Volodymr Zelenskiy remarked this assault as a deliberate assault on innocent civilians by Russia, a claim that Moscow fervently denies.

Horrors in Hroza

The aftermath of the attack unravelled further tragedies. Unidentified corpses lay amidst the debris and wreckage, subjected to DNA testing for recognition. The sight of white bags containing victims' bodies being loaded on a pickup truck served as a grotesque testament of the devastation on the innocent village.

Devastation Unleashed

Rescue operations continued well into daylight, with the emergency personnel and the community together mourning the dead by lighting candles and laying flowers. Village resident Oleksandr Mukhovatyi lamented the loss of his family, underlining the gruesome reality of precise attacks on civilians.

The Grave Unseen

A freshly-dug grave adorned with bouquets of the national colours stood out in the cemetery. It marked the final resting place of Ukrainian soldier Andriy Kozyr, who posthumously became the symbol of unity in his native village. However, his commemoration led to the tragic missile attack, leaving widower Valeriy Kozyr to mourn the loss of half the village.

Written by Mike Collett-White; Edited by Philippa Fletcher

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