Overnight on 21 September, Russia hit Ukrainian rescue workers with the week’s second double-tap drone strike in Chernihiv Oblast. The second strike injured two firefighters after responding to a fire caused by the first drone attack, local authorities reported.

Russia hits firefighters during second double-tap strike in Chernihiv Oblast

The State Emergency Service reported that Russian forces targeted firefighters in Nizhyn district, Chernihiv Oblast, while they were extinguishing flames at a critical infrastructure site. The fire had broken out during an initial overnight drone strike. As emergency crews arrived to contain it, Russian drones returned and launched a second strike, injuring two responders. They were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Viacheslav Chaus, head of Chernihiv Oblast, confirmed this was the second such incident in the oblast this week. He said Russia deliberately waits for first responders to arrive at the scene before launching follow-up attacks.

“Russia resorts to openly terrorist practices: it strikes, then strikes again once rescuers arrive to deal with the consequences,” Chaus said.

On 20 September, Russia launched another drone attack on Chernihiv city, injuring a 21-year-old local resident. The man was hospitalized in the neurology department. Infrastructure was also damaged during the strike.

Russia’s daily air assaults

This pattern of targeting emergency services is not new, adn Russia repeats it in its daily assaults. On 17 September — Ukraine’s official Rescuer Day — a Russian drone hit a fire station in Donetsk Oblast. The explosion blew out the garage gates and damaged the building’s façade.

On 18 September, Russian forces struck a State Emergency Service unit in Nizhyn, killing one rescuer and injuring two more. The following day, 19 September, Russia launched a repeated strike in Chernihiv Oblast targeting police and medics. Their service vehicles were damaged.