Russian Forces Fired 350 Shells Daily at Irpin During Kyiv Region Occupation

In an interview with Slidstva journalist Vladyslava Kobko on April 8, Russian soldier Nikolai Kartashev admitted that the Russian military fired approximately 350 artillery shells daily at Irpin, Kyiv region, during March 2022.

Kartashev, a member of the 234th Regiment of the 76th Airborne Assault Division, was stationed in neighboring Bucha, and operated the Nona self-propelled artillery system.

In early 2022, Russian forces occupied parts of the Kyiv region, launching heavy artillery strikes and causing widespread destruction. Civilians faced airstrikes, shelling, extrajudicial killings and torture. Ukrainian forces mounted a counteroffensive, forcing Russian troops to retreat by late March.

According to Kartashev, his unit fired five Nona artillery systems at Irpin daily, with each gun capable of launching 60 to 70 shells per day.

Kartashev, currently on trial in Ukraine for the killing of a civilian, explained that the shelling continued for 25 days, contributing to the extensive destruction of the town.

“We fired every day,” Kartashev said. “Each cannon could have 60-70 shells per day. We had five cannons.” He did not acknowledge the presence of residential areas or civilians in Irpin during the attacks.

One such attack occurred on March 6, when a Russian shell struck an apartment in the Versal residential complex, killing two members of the Yarovy family.

Maryna Yarova, who witnessed the aftermath, described the scene: “My husband was lying on the threshold of the apartment. His head was pierced, and there was no way he could be helped. My son was dragged into the kitchen, his legs were broken, and his stomach was completely open.”

Yarova recalled her son’s last words, saying he begged her to end his suffering while cursing Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the attacks on Irpin, as documented by the KSE Institute’s RebuildUA project, resulted in the destruction or damage of nearly 50% of the town’s residential buildings, amounting to a total loss of over $900 million.

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