Russian airstrikes on Kharkiv overnight killed three people, including a two-year-old boy, and left at least 17 others injured, Ukrainian officials said on Monday. The attacks come as the United States urges Ukraine to quickly reach a peace deal with Moscow.
According to Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov, the city was first hit by a ballistic missile on Sunday night, followed by a drone strike early Monday. He said the number of wounded was still going up.
Several Ukrainian Children Among 17 Injured
Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed that the toddler and two adults had died. Six children, aged six to 17, were among the injured. “A woman has just been rescued from under the rubble: she is alive,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram, adding that more people might still be trapped.
Kharkiv, a key Ukrainian city situated near the Russian border, is facing regular drone and missile attacks since Moscow began the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A missile strike destroyed around 1,000 windows in a residential area which forced some citizens to flee. The authorities said emergency services are on the ground to carry out rescue operations.
Ukraine Says Russia Strikes at Night to Cause Panic and Chaos
Meanwhile, two people were wounded in the Sumy region in a Russian attack. A dozen homes and a school were also destroyed due to assaults by Russian drones in another incident. Oleh Hryhorov, region’s governor, blamed Russia for intentionally hitting targets in civilian areas at night.
Reports say paramedics were helping residents and emergency groups launched search operations in the destroyed buildings to find if any individuals are trapped inside. Russia has refused to comment on the strikes. Since the war began more than three years ago, thousands of civilians have been killed, majority of them in Ukraine. However, both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, urged Ukraine to agree to peace. “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not,” he said.
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