2 civilians killed by unexploded ordnance in Kharkiv Oblast
An unidentified explosive device killed two men in a field near the heavily mined village of Hrakove in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 11, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
"The civilian population of Kharkiv Oblast continues to suffer from Russian mines and unexploded ordnance," the governor wrote on social media.
Emergency services are working on the site of the explosion, Syniehubov said. The circumstances of the incident are being established, he added.
Hrakove lies in the Chuhuiv district, roughly 50 kilometers southeast of Kharkiv and 70 kilometers south of the Russian border.
The village was occupied by Russian forces during Moscow's offensive into Kharkiv Oblast last year until its liberation in Ukraine's fall counteroffensive. According to Ukrinform, Hrakove's houses and civilian infrastructure were largely destroyed during the occupation, and retreating invaders left behind a large number of landmines.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on March 1 that nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory had been mined since the start of the full-scale invasion.
According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, 250 people have been killed by mines in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, and over 500 have been injured or maimed.
Read also: Russia is covering Ukraine with landmines. Clearing them will be extremely difficult
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