KYIV: Russian air attacks killed six people in northeast Ukraine on Thursday, local authorities said, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of cynically targeting civilians.
The onslaught of aerial bombardment has intensified in recent weeks, resulting in widespread power outages as Russia’s military continues to target Ukraine’s electricity grid. The city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, bore the brunt of the assault, with drone attacks claiming the lives of four people, including three rescuers who were responding to an earlier strike, according to Mayor Igor Terekhov.
Interior Minister Igor Klymenko confirmed the identities of the deceased rescuers, aged 52, 32, and 41, while a fourth victim, a 68-year-old woman, was also identified by police. Additionally, at least 12 others sustained injuries in the attacks.
Zelensky condemned the “despicable and cynical” nature of the assault, highlighting the cowardly tactic of targeting rescuers as they arrived at the scene of the strike. The violence continued as another Russian strike claimed the life of a man operating a tractor in the region, according to Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Sinegubov.
According to Ukraine’s air force, a total of 20 drones were launched by Russia overnight, with 11 of them successfully intercepted. The attacks extended beyond residential areas, with Russia also targeting critical infrastructure, resulting in the death of a 47-year-old energy worker in the neighboring Sumy region, as confirmed by the energy ministry.
In response to the escalating violence, Ukrainian officials have urgently appealed to their allies for increased anti-aircraft defense systems, particularly modern US-made Patriot systems. However, US military aid to Ukraine faces obstacles, with a $60 billion funding package currently stalled in Congress, leaving frontline troops facing critical shortages.
Russia also accused Ukraine of targeting civilians in occupied areas. Moscow-installed official Andrey Alekseyenko reported that Ukrainian drones killed two individuals in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. Additionally, Russian state media alleged that Ukrainian shelling resulted in the death of a man in the eastern Donetsk region.
