The Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office on September 28 said A Russian drone hit a black sedan being used to distribute humanitarian aid, killing the driver and severely injuring three women passengers.
The driver was identified as Leonid Loboyko, a judge in the Cassation Criminal Division of Ukraine’s Supreme Court.
"The victim of the cynical attack was a judge of the Supreme Court, who was delivering humanitarian aid to local residents," the prosecutor’s office said.
“The staff of the Supreme Court expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Leonid…sharing their grief and pain from this irreparable loss,” the court said on its Facebook page.
"In the hearts of all who knew Leonid Loboyko, the memory of him as kind, wise, and sympathetic person will forever remain."
Attacks on Civilians and Infrastructure
The attack on the vehicle carrying Loboyko was not an isolated incident. It came amid a wave of Russian strikes targeting civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including a hospital in the border region of Sumy.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Russia on September 28 launched two strikes on a hospital in the border region of Sumy, killing at least nine people and injuring 12.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the Sumy strike, saying that Russia was "waging war on hospitals." He said on X that Ukrainian rescuers were "doing everything possible to provide our people with the help they need."
Klymenko initially put the death toll at six, including a police officer.
"As a result of the first strike, one person died and several floors of the hospital were destroyed," Klymenko said on Telegram, adding that while rescuers were evacuating the patients and staff, Russia launched a second strike.
Russian Military Tactics and Advancements
The strikes on Kharkiv and Sumy are part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression in Ukraine's east. Russian forces have made serious advances in Ukraine's east and are closing in on Vuhledar - a coal-mining town on the southern part of the Donbas front line. The Russians have been trying to seize the town since the beginning of their full-scale invasion.
On Monday, Russian military bloggers were reporting that Moscow's troops had entered the outskirts of the town in the Donetsk region. Ukraine's military has mentioned only a number of attempts to capture its positions in Vuhledar.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have also recently advanced near Hlyboke, Kupyansk, and Pokrovsk, according to the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.
The war tracking group said Ukrainian forces had recently advanced in Kursk region.
The Use of Glide Bombs
Russia has increasingly been using glide bombs in recent months - Soviet-era bombs fitted out with wings and satellite navigation aids. They are cheap, destructive, and are said to have been key to Russia's effort to capture further ground in Ukraine.
They were used in May in attacks in Kharkiv, while military analysts also note that they appear to have been used for the first time in Zaporizhzhia city, external on Sunday night.
Ukrainian officials said Russia conducted seven airstrikes with KAB glide bombs, injuring at least 21 civilians in the attacks on 13 residential buildings and two educational facilities.
Zaporizhzhia officials also said Russia had conducted another strike on the south-eastern city on Monday night, which killed one person and injured at least four others including two children.
International Condemnation and Support for Ukraine
The attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure have drawn widespread condemnation from the international community.
The United States, Ukraine's main supporter, and Western allies have given Kyiv billions of dollars in military aid and other assistance while also slapping several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Zelenskiy has met with U.S. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump during his recent trip to the United States, where he has been seeking increased military support and a clear path to ending the war.
A Tragic Reminder of the Human Cost of War
The death of Leonid Loboyko is a tragic reminder of the human cost of the war in Ukraine. He was a respected judge who dedicated his life to upholding the rule of law. His death is a loss not only for his family and friends, but for the entire country.
The war in Ukraine has already claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians. The attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure continue to inflict suffering on the Ukrainian people. The international community must continue to hold Russia accountable for its actions and provide support to Ukraine as it defends itself against this unprovoked aggression.
