Russia Kharkiv: Dead and many injured after Russian air strike

At least four people, including a 14-year-old girl, were killed in a Russian airstrike on the city of Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine.

According to Kharkiv military governor Oleh Synyehubov, 28 people were injured. The number could still rise. According to official information, the articulated aerial bombs hit a twelve-storey residential building, which partially collapsed.

"A blow that would not have happened if our defense forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are stationed," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in a message on Telegram. In view of the destruction, he once again called for the release of far-reaching Western weapons against targets in Russia.

The bombs hit several districts of what was once Ukraine's second-largest city. According to the authorities, several children are among the injured. Kharkiv, which is only around 30 kilometers from the border with Russia, is a recurring target of Russian attacks. At the beginning of the war of aggression ordered by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Russian troops also attempted to take Kharkiv, but failed.

Strengthening the air defenses is vital, Selensky continued. According to Kiev, the Russian attack potential must also be destroyed in order to protect its own cities. This would require attacks on military airfields in Russia's hinterland, where bombers and fighter planes are stationed. Selensky is now demanding almost daily that the West release weapons supplied for attacks on Russian territory. So far, restrictions have been in place. However, Ukraine also uses its own drones and missiles for attacks. The country has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than two and a half years with Western military aid.

SDA