At least 3 killed in Russia’s ‘most powerful’ attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv

As Russia scurried across Ukraine with a barrage of missiles, drones, and bombs, at least five people were killed, according to officials, and more than 20 were hurt.

Russian air defenses shot down and neutralized 87 drones and seven missiles, according to the Ukrainian air force, who said on Saturday that Russia had fired 215 missiles and drones overnight.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov referred to the attack as “the most powerful” assault on the northeastern city of Kharkiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, claiming that at least three people had died and 17 others, including two children, had been injured.

He claimed that four guided bombs, two missiles, and four guided bombs were fired at the city of 1.4 million people just 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Russian border as early as dawn.

At 4:40 am (01:40 GMT), Terekhov wrote on Telegram that “drones are still circling above” as air raid sirens scurried across the city. Residential structures and the infrastructure of the civilian world were severely damaged.

A missile strike on Thursday that injured 18 people, including four children, also left the northeastern city.

An increase in attacks

Russian shelling also impacted the city of Kherson in the south, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, who confirmed that a couple was killed and residential structures were damaged. Two women, 45 and 88, were hurt in separate attacks in Dnipro.

At least six people were killed and dozens hurt on Friday when Russia launched an aerial bombardment across Ukraine, according to officials. The number of victims from Friday’s attacks has increased to seven thanks to the additional bodies found by rescuers in the city of Lutsk on Saturday.

Moscow claimed Friday’s assault was carried out in response to “terrorist acts” committed by Ukraine against Russia, claiming that targets were placed on military installations.

Following a Ukrainian drone attack last weekend that damaged nuclear-capable military aircraft at Russian airbases deep behind the front lines, including in Siberia, the Russian attack surge comes as a result of that incident. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has said that the attack will be retaliated for using smuggled drones, which Kyiv reportedly planned for 18 months.

During talks in Istanbul on Monday, Ukraine pushed for a 30-day ceasefire and presented its most recent proposal. Moscow has disputed calls for a truce, saying that the conflict must be fought for the sake of the country.

According to Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, “for us, it is an existential issue.” It is “related to our national security, our country’s future, and our national interests.”

Kyiv has criticized Putin’s demands on Ukraine to leave four partially occupied regions, abandon its NATO ambitions, and halt all Western military cooperation. Instead, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of the United States, and himself have called for a three-way summit.