A Ukrainian elementary school has mourned a “wonderful” teacher and her baby daughter among six people killed in a Russian drone strike on a crowded park.
Inna Mariukhna, a primary school teacher at Novovodolazskyi Lyceum No. 1, and her 1-year-old daughter Angelina died in the Monday attack on Nova Vodolaha in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region. The school issued a touching Facebook statement acknowledging their deaths.
“It is with deep sorrow and unspeakable grief that the staff of Novovodolazskyi Lyceum No. 1 mourn the tragic deaths of primary school teacher Inna Mariukhna and her daughter Angelina,” the school wrote.
“No words can convey the despair caused by this irreparable loss. It is hard to believe that two lives have been cut short, and that dreams and hopes which were yet to be realised and flourish have been extinguished.”
The school described Inna as a “wonderful teacher who opened up the world of knowledge to little ones, taught them their first steps in life, and gave the children all the warmth of her heart.” It also shared an undated photograph of mother and daughter laughing and smiling together.
Angelina was killed in her stroller during the strike by a Russian “Shahed” drone. Her mother was rushed to a hospital but later died from her injuries.
The park was filled with families and children when the drone hit. An 11-year-old girl also was killed, along with three women. Another 15 people were injured, including seven children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared images from the attack on X, calling it a “pure atrocity.”
“These are horrific photos, but behind them are shattered lives and the truth about this war,” he wrote.
“We ask that sanctions on Russia stay in place as long as the killings continue. We ask America to be strong, and we ask it to apply the Lindsey Graham law,” Zelensky added.
Tuesday was declared a day of mourning in Nova Vodolaha, according to Ukrainian outlet Pravda.
The graphic image of Angelina lying dead in her stroller had circulated previously, capturing the brutal human cost of the attack on the civilian gathering space.
The strike on the Kharkiv region town came as Russian forces have continued drone attacks across eastern Ukraine, frequently targeting areas with civilian populations.
