KHARKIV: Seventeen people were wounded in Russian strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday evening, as reported by Governor Oleg Synegubov.
Two women are reported to be in serious condition. Governor Synegubov stated that preliminary information indicates the use of two S-300 missiles in the attack. Kharkiv, situated just 30 kilometers from the Russian border in Ukraine’s northeast, has been subjected to frequent bombardments since the outset of Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.
Following the strikes, the mayor of Kharkiv confirmed that some residential buildings were destroyed and emphasized that there were no military targets in the targeted area. The absence of military installations underscores the indiscriminate nature of the attacks, heightening concerns about civilian casualties.
Simultaneously, authorities issued evacuation orders for approximately 3,000 residents in over two dozen villages near the frontline in the broader Kharkiv region. The directive was prompted by the intensification of Russian attacks in the area, raising fears of further civilian harm.
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In a separate incident, a drone attack on the southern city of Odessa resulted in three civilians being injured and residential buildings damaged. Oleg Kiper, the head of the region’s military administration, reported that a 62-year-old man and two women, aged 65 and 27, sustained injuries in the attack.
Amid the intensification of hostilities, Russia claimed to have repelled an attack on its border city Belgorod, located approximately 80 kilometers from Kharkiv. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that seven Ukrainian missiles and four drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region. Although there were no immediate casualties reported, the incident highlights the expanding geographical scope of the conflict.
Russian forces had captured significant portions of the Kharkiv region during the initial invasion in February 2022. Despite subsequent territorial losses, ongoing efforts to regain control of the region suggest its strategic importance in the conflict dynamics.
