On October 1, 2024, a Russian artillery strike in Kherson, Ukraine, resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians and left three others injured.

The attack targeted a busy market area and a public transport stop in the city center, occurring around 9:00 AM local time.

According to regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, the strike happened as shoppers were moving between stalls at the market.

The regional prosecutor's office confirmed that among the injured were three additional civilians.

Authorities indicated that the attack was likely carried out using artillery, underscoring the ongoing threat to civilians in the area.

Due to its proximity to the front lines, Kherson frequently experiences bombardments from Russian military forces, often resulting in civilian casualties.

Kherson was captured by Russian forces during their full-scale invasion in February 2022 but was retaken by Ukrainian counteroffensives nine months later.

Despite being under Ukrainian control, Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared Kherson, along with other regions, as part of Russian territory.

Although Kherson has not been a major conflict zone recently, the ongoing war has intensified in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

Ukrainian forces continue to respond to Russian aggression with counterattacks, including incursions into Russia's Kursk border region.

The Kherson region was one of four areas illegally annexed by Russia in September 2022, alongside Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Putin's goal remains a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from these annexed regions, a demand that Ukraine firmly rejects.