Russian Drone Attack on Kharkiv Zoo Leaves Animals Dead and Stressed

On 15 June at approximately 18:05 local time, a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle, preliminarily identified as a Geran-2 drone, struck the vivarium enclosure at the Kharkiv Zoo in Ukraine’s second-largest city. The impact shattered window glazing and damaged the façade of the enclosure that housed small mammals, and also damaged the adjacent elephant enclosure.

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

Kharkiv lies roughly 30 km from the Russian border and has been repeatedly targeted during the more than four-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine. Earlier in the year, an “eco park” outside the city was also hit, resulting in bird deaths. The zoo attack follows a pattern of strikes on civilian infrastructure.

The Straits Times

The investigation is being led by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Ukrainian authorities attribute the strike to the Russian army. The drone type is cited as a Geran-2.

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

The vivarium housed approximately 150 rabbits, 250 guinea pigs, 700 rats and 250 mice. Prosecutors confirmed ten rabbit deaths and fifteen injuries among the small-mammal population. The elephant adjacent to the blast exhibited acute stress, though no human casualties were reported.

The Straits Times

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced the opening of a pre-trial investigation under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, classifying the strike as a potential war crime. Officials emphasized that no staff or visitors were harmed.

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

The elephant suffered acute stress after the strike damaged the outside of its adjacent enclosure. Other animals in the vivarium were reported to be stressed, but no further fatalities were recorded.

The Straits Times

The UAV is preliminarily identified as a Geran-2, but independent verification of the drone model has not been reported. No independent confirmation of the casualty figures has been published, and the full extent of structural damage beyond the described enclosures remains unverified.

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

• "The Russian army attacked a zoo in Kharkiv, preliminary reports suggest with a 'Geran' drone, killing 10 rabbits." — UNN

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

• "It has been preliminarily established that 10 rabbits were killed and another 15 were injured." — Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

• "The animal suffered an acute stress reaction." — Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

• "The glazing and facade of the elephant enclosure, located near the impact site, were also damaged." — Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress

• "The window glazing and the facade of the 'Vivarium' enclosure, which housed 150 rabbits, 250 guinea pigs, 700 rats, and 250 mice at the time of the strike, were damaged." — Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office

The enemy attacked a zoo in Kharkiv with a "Geran" drone - 10 rabbits were killed, an elephant is suffering from acute stress