Russian Airstrike Kills 10-Year-Old Natalia Shchelupanova in Kharkiv Region
10-year-old Natalia Shchelupanova was killed in a Russian airstrike on her family home in Kharkiv region on March 9, 2022. The strike also claimed the lives of her baby brother and grandmother.
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Russian Airstrike Kills 10-Year-Old Natalia Shchelupanova in Kharkiv Region
ŞEHİTLER ÖLMEZ / UKRAINE
A Family Gathering Turned Into a Tragedy After Russian Bomb Hit Their Home
On March 9, 2022, a Russian airstrike devastated a residential building in the village of Slobozhanske in Kharkiv region, killing 10-year-old Natalia Shchelupanova and several of her family members.
The apartment, filled with relatives and friends that evening, was struck directly by an aerial bomb. Natalia, her baby brother, grandmother, and two other civilians died instantly in the kitchen. The blast buried them under the concrete rubble of the basement floor.
A Little Girl with a Big Heart
Natalia was just 10 years old, but according to her grandmother, she was wise beyond her years. A thoughtful and emotionally mature child, she had become a source of support for her younger siblings. That tragic evening, she was spending time at home with her mother Olga, baby brother Oleg, younger sister Yana, her mother’s partner, and a family friend visiting with her own children.
What was meant to be a peaceful evening quickly turned into a horror scene, as the Russian military launched an aerial assault on the area.
By the morning of March 10, rescue workers had recovered the bodies. Among the dead were Natalia, her nearly 2-year-old brother, their grandmother, and others.
A Family Shattered, a Nation in Mourning
“In the middle of the night, my daughter-in-law’s mother called me crying. She said: ‘Hold on, they’ve bombed the children,’” said Natalia’s grandmother, Inna Ostropolska.
Initially buried in Slobozhanske, Natalia and her loved ones were later exhumed and reburied in Balakliia, closer to their surviving family members.
The family, once full of life and laughter, has been left in ruins. “She was our eldest granddaughter and helped us so much. Now, we are left completely alone,” her grandmother said, describing how Natalia’s younger sister is now being raised by an aunt.
Innocent Civilian Deaths Continue in Ukraine
Natalia's story is one among thousands—but each loss is irreplaceable. The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to claim civilian lives indiscriminately, hitting schools, homes, and playgrounds.
These are not “military targets.” They are children. They are families. They are Ukraine’s future.
Natalia is survived by her grandparents, younger sister Yana, and extended relatives—who will never stop remembering the little girl who brought them joy, even in the darkest of times.
