Ten-Year-Old Nataliya Shchelupanova Killed in Russian Bombing of Kharkiv Region
Ten-year-old Nataliya Shchelupanova was killed by a Russian airstrike in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on March 9, 2022, along with her mother, baby brother, and others. She was one of many Ukrainian children lost to indiscriminate bombing.
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Ten-Year-Old Nataliya Shchelupanova Killed in Russian Bombing of Kharkiv Region
Yusuf Inan / Martyrs Never Die / Slobozhanske Ukraine
A Quiet Evening Turned into Tragedy
On March 9, 2022, a Russian airstrike struck an apartment building in the village of Slobozhanske, Izium district, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. Among the victims was ten-year-old Nataliya Shchelupanova. The bomb hit the family’s home in the evening while several relatives and friends were gathered in the apartment.
One Bomb, Multiple Victims
In the home were Nataliya, her mother Olga, her younger siblings Yana and Oleg, her mother’s partner, Olga’s sister Kateryna, and a friend visiting with two children. When the bomb hit, the explosion demolished much of the building. The next morning, rescuers found the bodies of Nataliya, her mother, baby brother Oleg (not yet two years old), and others in the basement kitchen area.
“The Children Were Bombed…”
“I first heard from the mother of Olga’s partner. She called me and said, ‘Get ready… the children have been bombed,’” said Inna Ostropolska, Nataliya’s grieving grandmother, recalling the heartbreaking moment.
A Life Cut Short
Nataliya was just ten but remembered as a thoughtful, unusually mature child. Her younger sister Yana has since been taken in by a paternal aunt. “We are all alone now,” Inna added. “We lost everything.”
Second Burial After Exhumation
The family initially buried Nataliya and her relatives in Slobozhanske. Later, after an official exhumation, they were reburied in the nearby town of Balakliia.
Another Civilian Child Victim
Nataliya’s death is one of hundreds of confirmed cases of children killed in airstrikes across Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. International observers have warned that indiscriminate use of aerial bombs on civilian areas constitutes a potential war crime under international law.
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