A pregnant gas station employee was wounded by shrapnel during a Russian Shahed-drone attack on a fuel station in Dnipro, Ukraine [1].
This incident highlights the ongoing risks faced by civilians in critical infrastructure roles during the conflict, particularly the vulnerability of pregnant women in active war zones.
Angela, the employee, was working at the station and was positioned at the epicentre of the explosion [1]. The blast caused multiple shrapnel injuries, which included damage to her legs and her eye [2]. At the time of the attack, Angela was four months pregnant [3].
Medical professionals said her unborn child is unharmed despite the severity of the explosion. Angela is a mother of three children [4].
Shahed-type drones are frequently used in strikes against energy and fuel infrastructure across Ukraine. The targeting of fuel stations creates immediate hazards for both the staff on site and the surrounding urban populations, often leading to secondary fires and structural collapses.
Local authorities in Dnipro continue to manage the aftermath of the strike, which targeted the fuel facility where Angela was employed [1].
“Angela was working at the station and was at the epicentre of the explosion.”
The targeting of fuel infrastructure with one-way attack drones like the Shahed increases the lethality of strikes due to the volatile nature of the cargo. When these facilities are hit, the resulting shrapnel and fire pose an extreme risk to civilian workers who cannot easily evacuate from the epicentre of the blast.
