At least 4 killed, 6 injured in Russian drone attack in Kharkiv

International Desk: PNN

In the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, at least four people have been killed and six others injured in a Russian drone attack. Local officials reported that the attack occurred on the outskirts of the city, only 30 kilometers from the border, increasing the casualty numbers.

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed the deaths after rescue operations. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that one of Russia’s long-range drones struck a medical center intended for children, causing a fire.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo stated that due to infrastructure damage from the overnight Russian attack, emergency power outages were initiated in the capital Kyiv. The extent of damage or duration of the outages has not been detailed.

Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, reported that the capital faced a series of missile attacks within a short time. Telegram channels monitoring the Ukrainian war indicated that nearly 20 ballistic missiles were launched within an hour. However, no casualties have been reported so far from this attack. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defense systems were activated to attempt to repel the attack.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that in one night, Russia launched 293 drones and 18 missiles across various regions of Ukraine, of which 240 drones and seven missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian defense forces.

These attacks occurred while the United States accused Russia of “dangerously escalating” the war. At an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting, US Deputy Ambassador Tammy Bruce said Moscow’s recent actions could expand and worsen the conflict. She noted that although US President Donald Trump actively pursued peace, such attacks complicate the situation, especially given Russia’s recent use of nuclear-capable ‘Oresnik’ ballistic missiles.

Previously, Ukraine claimed that after hundreds of drone and missile attacks last week, it requested an urgent UN meeting. This marked the second time the ‘Oresnik’ missile was used in the war zone, sending a clear signal to Ukraine’s Western allies. Russia claimed the target of the strike was an aircraft repair factory near Lviv and that it was in response to a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting President Vladimir Putin’s residence. Ukraine denied this, and the United States labeled it baseless.