Dozens of people have been injured in missile strikes in Ukraine, according to local authorities. Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said at least 82 people were injured, including six children, after Russia launched a savage ballistic missile attack. At least one person had died in the strikes. In addition, pictures from the smaller city of Mykolaiv showed emergency services fighting huge fires after an overnight bombardment.
Mr Terekhov added: “According to preliminary information, the strikes on Kharkiv were carried out with ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions. That is why the affected areas are so extensive.” At least 20 apartment buildings, 30 houses, and an educational institution were damaged by the strikes. Kharkiv, Ukraine‘s second city, is near the Russian border and has come under regular attack from Moscow throughout the war.
The mayor said four missile strikes had hit a “densely populated area of Kharkiv”, striking a “high-rise building”. He added that “there may be people under the rubble”.
The head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, also confirmed that the attack targeted “high-rise residential buildings in the Osnovianskyi district.”
He wrote online: “As of this moment, 13 people have been hospitalised in city hospitals, including two children. Four people are in serious condition. Doctors are providing all necessary assistance to the victims.”
Kharkiv State Emergency Service spokesperson Yevhen Vasylenko said the attack caused a fire to break out at a “civilian enterprise”.
He said the blaze covered an area of 500 square metres and was being tackled in three areas.
This comes just days after two Russian ballistic missiles killed 35 and injured more than 100 in the centre of the border town of Sumy on Sunday, marking the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians since 2023.
Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “horrific” and accused Russia of “dragging this war”. He added: “The world must respond firmly. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves.”