A Russian drone strike has killed around 13,000 pigs after sparking a massive fire on a farm in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Emergency services confirmed the attack on Friday, describing it as one of the most devastating blows to Ukraine’s farming sector since the war began.
The attack targeted a farming enterprise in the Novovodolazka community overnight.
Ukraine’s state emergency service reported that all eight pig stalls, covering more than 13,000 square meters, were destroyed in the fire.
A farm worker also sustained injuries in the strike.
Photos released by emergency officials showed rows of carcasses piled inside partly burned sheds, many with collapsed or shattered roofs.
The images highlighted the scale of destruction and suffering inflicted on Ukraine’s agriculture.
Animals have continued to suffer heavily in the three-and-a-half years of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Previous strikes have killed horses, cattle, and even zoo animals.
In September, a Russian attack destroyed an equestrian club near Kyiv, killing seven horses. In June, a ram was killed during a strike on Odesa zoo.
Ukrainian authorities said the destruction of livestock farms is part of Russia’s broader campaign to break Ukraine’s economy and food production.
The Kharkiv region, located in the northeast, has faced repeated bombardments since the start of the invasion.
The pig farm fire is the latest example of how the war continues to devastate both human and animal life.
Beyond the frontlines, the destruction has stretched into Ukraine’s food supply chains, wildlife parks, and local communities.
The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Russian attacks on civilian and agricultural infrastructure, warning that such strikes worsen global food insecurity.
