The Barabashovo Market is located in the Saltivka district, the part of the city that has been most devastated by the war. This vast retail complex is considered the largest industrial and household goods market in Ukraine and, with an area of over 75 hectares, is the largest in Eastern Europe and one of the largest markets in the world.
On March 17, 2022, during the fighting for Kharkiv, Russian troops shelled Barabashovo with Grad multiple rocket launchers, which sparked numerous fires throughout the market. Within a very short time, an inferno had engulfed almost the entire retail area and spread to nearby private residences. The burning market was shelled a second time, killing one firefighter, and on March 25, it was shelled again. The numerous attacks destroyed a large part of the market, while the fumes produced by burning materials, especially plastic, caused massive environmental damage, estimated by the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine at a cost of almost 2 billion UAH.