Russian strike collapses a Kharkiv apartment stairwell and kills three, days after the US waived sanctions on Russia’s diesel

On 12 October, Russian artillery strikes in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirskyi district collapsed an apartment stairwell, killing three people. Rescue workers recovered the bodies from the rubble overnight. Survivors reported experiencing fire, falling glass, and leaving behind pets. The attack came days after the United States waived sanctions on Russian diesel, anticipating Kyiv to cease hitting Russian refineries.

Russia targets Ukrainian cities daily in preparation for a winter campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure, while its oil exports fund the drones and missiles they use. A halt to Ukraine's refinery strikes without an equal halt to Russia's attacks would maintain Moscow's fuel income while Kharkiv clears the rubble. Estonia's Prime Minister urged Europe to assist Ukraine in destroying those refineries instead.