KHARKIV: Russian strikes in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least six people, including a 14-year-old girl at a playground, and injured dozens more, officials reported on Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, which involved a guided bomb, and called on Kyiv’s allies to make decisive moves to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense systems.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border, has faced consistent bombardment since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. The recent strikes hit a multi-story residential building and a children’s playground.
Kharkiv region Governor Oleg Synegubov confirmed the death toll had risen to six, with the 14-year-old girl among the victims. Interior Minister Igor Klymenko reported that at least 55 people were wounded. An AFP journalist in the city described hearing loud explosions during the attack on Friday afternoon. Emergency services and medics were on-site, working to assist the injured.
Unverified social media images showed thick grey smoke rising from a Soviet-era residential building and a fire raging through the upper floors.
Zelensky urged international partners to take stronger actions, including lifting restrictions on Western-supplied missiles and providing longer-range weapons. “We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror,” Zelensky wrote on social media, emphasizing the need for effective air defense agreements to save lives.
The Kremlin has consistently denied targeting civilian infrastructure, despite extensive evidence of civilian and residential areas being hit. After an initial failed attempt to capture Kharkiv early in the invasion, Russian forces launched a renewed ground offensive in the region in May, capturing some villages near the border.
Separately, Russian strikes in the neighboring Sumy region earlier on Friday resulted in at least two deaths and 13 injuries, according to the interior ministry.
