Russia late on Friday launched a mass drone attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, hitting a high-rise apartment block, sparking fires and injuring at least 46 people.
Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Mayor Ihor Terekhov, said there had been strikes in 12 locations in four central districts of the city, a repeated target of Russian air attacks lying 30 km (19 miles) from the country’s northeastern border.
While denouncing the drone strikes, which hit Ukrainian cities several times a week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said dozens of drones had been launched and Ukraine’s allies were moving too slowly in helping beef up its air defence capability.
“There were no military targets, nor could there be any. Russia strikes dwellings when Ukrainians are in their homes, when they are putting their children to bed.
“As the world delays decisions, almost every night in Ukraine turns into a horror that results in the loss of lives. Ukraine needs stronger air defences. Stronger and real decisions from our partners: the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
According to the mayor, a house had also been hit, an 11-year-old child was among the injured, adding that eight of those injured were being treated in hospital.
Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that emergency crews were working through the night to tackle the aftermath of the attack despite fears of repeat strikes.
Regional authorities said four people were also injured in a Russian joint drone and artillery attack on localities east of Nikopol in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
In southern Kherson region, a village resident reportedly died when a fallen drone detonated as he was trying to carry it away from a house.
Meanwhile, Russia denied deliberately targeting civilians, though many thousands have been killed since it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
