Russian forces launched a second attack on the eastern Ukrainian town of Balakliia on Saturday, setting a large evangelical church on fire after striking the area with a drone, Ukrainian officials said.
The strike caused a major blaze at the “Light of the Gospel” church, with flames spreading across approximately 1,300 square meters (14,000 square feet), according to emergency services.
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The church belongs to an evangelical Protestant community and serves as a local place of worship in the town.
The attack damaged a church building, an apartment building, and private homes in one of Balakliya’s neighborhoods.
No casualties were reported because the building was empty at the time of the attack, officials said. Emergency crews and local rescue officers worked at the scene despite the risk of repeated Russian strikes.
Balakliia is located in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, southeast of the regional capital Kharkiv and near areas that have seen repeated fighting and Russian attacks since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Earlier Saturday, at around 11:35 a.m., Russian forces also struck the central part of Balakliia, injuring three people who later sought medical assistance.
Russia has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, residential areas and religious buildings across Ukraine during the war, while Moscow denies intentionally attacking civilians.
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