Russian guided aerial bombs struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk on July 24, killing five civilians and injuring nine others, while also damaging Latvia’s Honorary Consulate in the city. The attack, which involved two KABs (guided aerial bombs), destroyed or damaged at least ten private residences, a wholesale warehouse, a private enterprise, and eight vehicles, three of which were completely destroyed.

What happened and why it’s different

Sloviansk, located in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, has been a frequent target of Russian strikes throughout the conflict. The day before this attack, on July 23, another strike on the same city injured 14 people.

Hitting a consulate, even an honorary one, is an attack on diplomatic infrastructure protected under the Vienna Convention. Latvia’s Foreign Minister and EU and Baltic leaders issued sharp condemnations, framing the strike as a deliberate assault on both civilians and diplomatic protections.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened a pre-trial investigation into the attack, with potential classification as a war crime. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences and repeated his call for enhanced air defense support, specifically citing Patriot missile systems as a critical need.