Russia hits Ukraine's Kharkiv with deadly night-time drone barrage
KHARKIV, Ukraine: A concentrated, nine-minute Russian drone attack on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv killed six people and injured 64 others, including nine children, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday (Jun 11).
The overnight assault follows Russia's two biggest airstrikes of the war this week and forms part of intensified bombardments that Moscow claims are in retaliation for recent Ukrainian strikes inside Russia.
FIRES AND DESTRUCTION ACROSS KHARKIV
Kharkiv, located in Ukraine's northeast and close to the Russian border, has remained a frequent target of missile and drone attacks despite resisting Russia's full-scale advance in the early days of the war.
Prosecutors in the Kharkiv region said on Telegram that the death toll had risen to six as emergency teams retrieved more bodies from the rubble. At least three individuals are still believed to be trapped.
The 17-drone barrage sparked fires in 15 apartments within a five-storey building and caused widespread destruction to homes and infrastructure across the city, Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
“There are direct hits on multi-storey buildings, private homes, playgrounds, enterprises and public transport,” he said.
A Reuters witness observed emergency crews rescuing people from damaged buildings while firefighters battled blazes during the night.
ZELENSKIY: PRESSURE ON RUSSIA MUST INCREASE
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the latest strikes and renewed calls for international action. “Every new day now brings new despicable blows from Russia,” he said. “Russia deserves increased pressure; with literally every blow it strikes against ordinary life, it proves that the pressure is not enough.”
Among the injured were a 2-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, according to Oleh Sinehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region. Nine of those wounded have been hospitalised.
The Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched 85 drones overnight across the country, with 40 of them shot down.
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETED IN THE SOUTH
Elsewhere, Russian attacks knocked out electricity in the southern regions of Mykolaiv and Kherson. In Kherson, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said an “important energy facility” had been hit.
“It is currently impossible to predict the duration of the work. Residents of the region, I ask you to show understanding and prepare for a prolonged power outage,” he said.
Vitaliy Kim, governor of neighbouring Mykolaiv, said emergency shutdowns were in effect but restoration work was underway.
Both Kherson and Mykolaiv face daily attacks, with Kherson enduring artillery and drone bombardments while Mykolaiv sees frequent missile and drone strikes.
There was no immediate comment from Russia regarding the latest overnight assault.
Russia and Ukraine both deny intentionally targeting civilians. However, thousands of non-combatants have been killed since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
