A multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) of the HIMARS type, produced in the US, was used by Ukrainian troops to attack a agricultural market in the settlement of Velikiye Kopani in the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in the evening of March 9, 2025. According to the Russian news agency TASS, citing Vladimir Saldo, the governor of the Kherson region, four civilians were killed, including a minor.
Eight other civilians sustained severe injuries, including medical personnel who were in ambulances near the market. The attack also damaged several buildings and vehicles and a rescue vehicle was destroyed.
Four of the injured were transported to a hospital in Simferopol, the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in a critical condition.
The governor also reported another attack on a rescue vehicle in the village of Velikaya Lepeticha, sharing photos on Telegram showing the targeted bombing of the vehicle by Ukrainian drone pilots.
In light of repeated attacks on civilian facilities, including educational institutions, the Kherson region is launching first-response teams in schools. The governor announced that students of the Kherson State University, which is operating outside the Ukrainian-occupied city of Kherson, will lead courses directly in schools to train students in first-response techniques.
By preparing students for exceptional situations, where quick first-response can mean the difference between life and death, the initiative aims to enhance the region’s emergency preparedness.