Open Source Assessment of Cluster Munition Use in the City of Kharkiv during Spring 2022
This report details the use of cluster munitions in civilian areas in Kharkiv at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report is based on 32 in-depth investigations of separate incidents that took place between February and April 2022.
This research was carried out by identifying the type of munition used, its likely direction of origin, analysing satellite imagery of launch areas and verifying what multiple launch rocket systems were in use at the time in this area. The report concludes through open source investigation that the 79th Brigade of Russian Armed Forces, led by Colonel Evgeny Yurievich Gerashchenko, played a significant role in cluster munition attacks in the region during the initial stages of the full scale invasion of Ukraine.
The main report is available here.
The 32 incident reports it is built on can be found below.
Incident Reports
CIV0018 - 25/02/2022
A 9M55k rocket section embedded into a street crossing next to a market in Kharkiv.
CIV0019 - 25/02/2022
A 9M55K missile embedded in the pavement of an intersection of a residential area in the Saltivs'kyi district, Kharkiv.
CIV0460 - 25/02/2022
A 9M55k rocket motor impaled into the ground next to a kindergarten in the North-East district of Kharkiv.
CIV0031 - 25/02/2022
Residential civilian areas in the Zhuravlyovka neighborhood of Kharkiv hit by a cluster munition attack likely using 9M55K missiles.
CIV0450 - 27/02/2022
A rocket motor of a 9M55K rocket impacted a residential area in the city of Kharkiv.
CIV0242 - 27/02/2022
9M55K rocket motors, which likely dropped a payload of submunitions over northern Kharkiv, visible on the streets.
CIV0463 - 28/02/2022
A 9M55K cargo section impacting the road surface next to a school and a Red Cross branch in the Shevchenkivs'kyi district of Kharkiv.
CIV0082 - 28/02/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] A cluster munition attack on Klochkivska Street, Kharkiv. At least one person reported dead in this Incident.
CIV0097 - 28/02/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] Several explosions on Velyka Kil'tseva Street in the Horizon microdistrict of Kharkiv.
CIV0093 - 28/02/2022
A 9M55K rocket motor embedded in the sidewalk of a residential area in the Staltivs'kyi district, in the northern part of Kharkiv.
CIV0464 - 28/02/2022
A 9M55K rocket motor impacted into the ground next to a school in the North-East district of Kharkiv.
CIV0091 - 28/02/2022
A rocket motor impacted into the 11th floor of a building on Balakireva Street in Kharkiv, falling down into the 10th floor below.
CIV0083 - 28/02/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] People reported dead after what appears to be a cluster munition attack on 23-ho Serpnya Lane and Ozernyi Lane, Kharkiv.
CIV0075 - 28/02/2022
Apparent cluster munition attack in the Saltivs'kyi District, Kharkiv.
CIV1907 - 28/02/2022
Apparent cluster munition attack on Klochkivska Street, Kharkiv, where a 9M55K rocket motor impacted the roof of a residential block of flats.
CIV0077 - 28/02/2022
Apparent cluster munition strike in a commercial area of the Saltivs'kyi district of Kharkiv.
CIV1655 - 28/02/2022
Two cargo sections of 9M55K rockets impacted into the ground of 520th Microdistrict, Kharkiv.
CIV0195 - 03/03/2022
Cluster munition attack impacted the courtyard of a high-rise building complex in a residential area of Kharkiv.
CIV0244 - 03/03/2022
A rocket section embedded into the path of a park in Kharkiv.
CIV0761 - 04/03/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] Seven people reported to be killed, and 34 wounded in Kharkiv.
CIV0213 - 06/03/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] A cluster munition attack on Pyatykhatky neighbourhood of Kharkiv, striking a line of civilians queuing outside a supermarket.
CIV0266 - 27/02/2022
A rocket motor of a cluster munition embedded in a playground in the Saltivs'kyi district of Kharkiv.
CIV0336 - 12/03/2022
A 9M55K rocket cargo section impacted into a football field of a residential area in the Nemyshlianskyi district of Kharkiv.
CIV0372 - 15/03/2022
Munition remnants embedded into a parking lot next to a shopping mall and a restaurant in the Zalopan’ district of Kharkiv.
CIV0465 - 20/03/2022
A rocket motor section embedded into the ground and unexploded submunitions near a residential building, Rzhavets, Kharkiv Oblast.
CIV0497 - 22/03/2022
Rocket motor embedded in the llama enclosure of the Feldman Ekopark zoo, Kharkiv Oblast.
CIV0522 - 22/03/2022
Remnants of a rocket near a suburban household in Merefa, Kharkiv Oblast.
CIV0533 - 24/03/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] The moment of impact and the aftermath of strikes affecting people and civilian infrastructure in the Saltivs'kyi district, Kharkiv.
CIV0556 - 25/03/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] A strike on the Osnovyans'kyi district of Kharkiv. Several people reported injured and killed.
CIV0656 - 01/04/2022
A rocket remnant embedded in asphalt.
CIV0862 - 05/04/2022
A 9M55K cluster munition strike impacting a public park and a footpath adjacent to a hospital in Chuhuiv, Kharkiv Oblast.
CIV0798 - 15/04/2022
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] Submunitions and sections of cluster munitions killing and injuring large number of civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure in the Industrialnyi district, Kharkiv.