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What the Hroza strike meant for Ukraine's security
Summary
A look back at the security news around 10 October 2023, from a missile strike in Kharkiv Oblast to fresh Western air defence and ammunition pledges.
What was the security picture in Ukraine on 10 October 2023? It was dominated by the aftermath of the missile strike on Hroza, in Kharkiv Oblast, five days earlier.
On 5 October 2023, Ukraine said Russia had hit a store and cafe in Hroza with a ballistic missile, killing at least 51 civilians. Later accounts put the toll at 59 dead and at least 7 injured. The background describes an Iskander missile fired at people gathered for a memorial service in Kupiansk Raion. Among the dead was a six-year-old boy.
Western support
On the same day, 5 October, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a second Patriot air defence system to Ukraine. The United States also transferred 1.1 million rounds of Iranian ammunition to Ukraine. The rounds had been seized by the U.S. Navy from a shipment bound for Yemen in December.
Moscow's message
Also on 5 October, Russia announced a successful test of the Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile with a potential range of thousands of miles.
Opposition to the war
On 4 October, a Russian court sentenced journalist Marina Ovsyannikova in absentia to eight and a half years in prison for interrupting a news broadcast with anti-war slogans. The same day, around 11 Code Pink protesters were arrested outside the office of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders after calling for the Biden administration to bring the war to an end.
