Five Voronov children killed in Russian missile strike buried in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Five children from the Voronov family were buried in Radushne, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, after being killed in a Russian missile strike on their home on the night of 29–30 July.

The victims were Dominika, 16, Viorika, 14, Zakharii, 13, Federika, 9, and 18-month-old Artem. Forensic examinations confirmed their deaths after the children had been considered missing for about two and a half months.

A missile struck the family home in Radushne, in Kryvyi Rih district. Seven children of Artem and Olena Voronov were in the house that night, along with their 18-month-old grandson Artem.

Ten family members were killed

Artem Voronov was 47 and his wife Olena was 41. The couple had ten children. Before the latest forensic findings, the officially confirmed victims included the parents and three children: Mark, Azarii-Ilai and Emiliia.

Their grandson Artem had been visiting the family. He was the son of their eldest child, Danylo, a serviceman based in Mykolaiv. The toddler had been due to return home that weekend and had already been enrolled in nursery.

The children’s grandmother, Nelia, said only the foundation remained after the strike. She said the family had not known how the victims would be identified but had hoped that everyone would be found.

A neighbour, Inna, said she ran to the site after the explosion and saw rubble. She said the missile had hit the centre of the house, where the children’s room was located.

Schools remember the children

Friends and teachers remembered Dominika as kind, sincere and cheerful. Her friend Karina said Dominika enjoyed beadwork and hoped to have two children of her own one day.

Ihor Kozachenko, headteacher at Dominika’s school, described her as an optimistic student who supported others during difficult times. The headteacher of the school attended by Federika, Zakharii and Viorika said their classmates still could not speak about the children without crying.