A Russian drone strike hit a private kindergarten in the Kholodnohirskyi District of Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast, on 22 October 2025. The attack occurred in the morning and targeted a densely populated area. One person, a 40-year-old man, was killed, and ten others were injured. The kindergarten was directly struck, and at the time of the attack, 48 children and teachers were present. The children were reported to have been promptly evacuated to a shelter and were not injured.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine confirmed that the kindergarten building sustained significant damage, including a fire that covered 500 square meters. The attack also damaged a store, a coffee shop, an office building, and six vehicles. Three fires were reported, with the largest occurring in the kindergarten structure. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed the details of the incident. The Regional Prosecutor's Office head, Amil Omarov, stated that jet-powered Geran-2 Shahed-type drones were likely used.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, calling it unjustifiable and a sign of increasing Russian aggression. The strike was part of a broader series of attacks across Ukraine on 22 October, including on energy infrastructure. In Kyiv, two people were killed and 29 injured, while four were killed in the Brovarsky district of Kyiv Oblast. At least 15 civilians were injured in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The attack occurred during a sustained Russian offensive that has affected Kharkiv since February 2022.