Russian attack destroys 50,000 books at Kharkiv printing house, kills 7 workers

Russia's forces struck with missiles, burning a facility printing children's books & magazines. Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying "Russia is at war with humanity & all aspects of normal life."

May 24, 2024 - 08:43
Russian attack destroys 50,000 books at Kharkiv printing house, kills 7 workers

The burnt books in Kharkiv may 2024

Russia destroyed 50,000 books in its missile attack on the Faktor-Druk printing house in the Osnovyansky district of Kharkiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said

Russian military launched a massive attack on Kharkiv on 23 May, killing five people and injuring nine others as of 11 pm of 23 May. Russian attack destroyed a printing house, where 50,000 books burned out. According to the police, the occupying forces struck with an S-300 missile system, with three missiles hitting the workshop and adjacent territory.

The burnt books in Kharkiv may 2024
The burnt books in the Kharkiv printing house “Factor-Druk” due to the Russian attack on 23 May 2024. Credit: Ihor Leptuga Nakypilo.ua

“It demonstrates that Russia is at war with humanity and all aspects of normal life,” President Zelesnkyy said

The burnt books in Kharkiv may 2024
The burnt books in the Kharkiv printing house “Factor-Druk” due to the Russian attack on 23 May 2024. Credit: @SERHII_BOLVINOV / X

Serhiy Bolvinov, head of the Kharkiv Oblast Police, said that seven printing house employees were killed at their workplaces: “They were printing children’s books.”

The burnt books in Kharkiv may 2024
The burnt books in the Kharkiv printing house “Factor-Druk” due to the Russian attack on 23 May 2024. Credit: @SERHII_BOLVINOV / X

“Five women and two men – each of them was just doing their job. This printing house produced books for children, magazines, school diaries, newspapers, and much more. Now, there is no such enterprise in Kharkiv,” Bolvinov said.

According to him, due to a severe fire, the bodies of the victims were badly burned, so only two could be identified, and the identities of the other five victims were established through DNA samples.

During the massive shelling of Kharkiv on Thursday, 23 May, the Russians struck the printing house of the local Vivat publishing house.

CEO and co-owner of Vivat Publishing House Yulia Orlova confirmed Ukrainska Pravda. Kultura that the strike hit the Faktor-Druk printing house, which mainly printed Vivat books. The printing and publishing houses are part of the same holding companies.

On 20 March, as a result of a Russian strike on the industrial zone of Kharkiv, the Gurov i K printing house burned down. Books from publishers such as “Chas Maistriv,” “Krokus,” “Shkola” publishing house, Dodo puzzles, and others were printed here. The “Avrora” printing house, located in the same building one floor below, was also completely destroyed.

Earlier, the Printing House in Kharkiv was damaged by Russian shelling.

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