A massive attack using Russian drones and missiles has hit the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local authorities said.
The Russian shelling is the latest in near-daily major attacks by Moscow and has included deadly guided bombs that have been part of an intense Russian assault throughout the three-year war.
The escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks has further dampened hopes that the conflicting sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon, especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin by launching surprise drone attacks on military airfields deep inside Russian territory.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired 215 missiles and drones overnight, while Ukrainian air defense systems shot down and neutralized 87 drones and seven missiles.
The head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiga, reported in his post on the X website that several other regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa regions and the city of Ternopil, were also hit.
“To end Russia's killing and destruction, it is necessary to increase pressure on Moscow and take additional measures to support Ukraine,” he said.
Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that its forces had carried out overnight strikes on Ukrainian military targets, including ammunition depots, drone assembly plants and weapons repair stations. Moscow has made no comment on the casualties in Kharkiv.
Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said the strikes also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes, adding that it was the “most powerful attack” on the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Kharkiv Region Governor Oleg Sinegubov said three districts of the city were hit by three missiles, five aerial bombs and 48 drones. Among the victims were two children, a boy and a 14-year-old girl, he added.
According to local governor Sergei Lysak, two women, aged 45 and 88, were injured in the southern Dnipropetrovsk region.
A married couple in their 50s were killed in shelling in the southern city of Kherson, close to the front line, local Governor Alexander Prokudin said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight over southern and western Russia, including near
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
