KYIV, Ukraine: A Russian missile attack on a hotel in Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has injured 11 people, including journalists, said local authorities.
The strike came just before the war’s second anniversary, with both Moscow and Kyiv blaming each other of killing dozens of civilians in escalation of attacks.
Mayor Igor Terekhov in a post on Telegram said the two missiles hit a hotel in the center of Kharkiv adding there were no military personnel there. He revealed that there were 30 civilians inside the building, eleven of whom were injured.
He added one of the injured is in very critical condition. He further said that Turkish journalists were among those hurt, without giving further details.
According to police, a journalist from a foreign publication had been injured in the strike on Wednesday. Several other buildings, including two residential apartment blocks, were also damaged in the latest attack.
Two Russian S-300 missiles hit hotel in Kharkiv
Oleg Synegoubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, said two Russian S-300 missiles struck the hotel around 10:30 p.m. (2030 GMT).
He added that nine of the 11 injured were taken to the hospital while two were treated on-site. He said a 35-year-old man has been seriously wounded.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, located about 30 kilometers from the Russian border, has borne a heavy brunt of the war, seeing regular and often deadly aerial attacks.
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Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned his country requires continued Western support and air equipment to counter Russian drone and missile attack.
At a news conference alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Zelensky expressed his concern about potential hesitations in financial and military aid to Ukraine, emphasizing that such uncertainties could strengthen Russia’s resolve.
