The city of Kharkiv was rocked by devastating Russian missile attacks, leaving seven people dead and several others injured.
The northeastern Ukrainian city, merely 18 miles from the Russian border, became the latest target in a series of escalating assaults, marking a grim escalation more than two years into Moscow's invasion. This is reported by Moscow Times.
A Dark Night and a City in Mourning
As Kharkiv's residents slept, tragedy struck. An overnight missile barrage claimed six lives, and a subsequent attack added another name to the growing list of casualties.
The local prosecutor's office, via social media, detailed the harrowing events, noting,
"Six killed and 11 wounded as a result of the enemy's night-time missile attack on Kharkiv." High-rise buildings, a kindergarten, and the tranquil daily life of a bustling city were shattered in moments.
The Brutality of War Hits Home
Kharkiv police revealed the weapons of the night's terror: two S-300 missiles, followed by drone attacks aimed at hampering rescue efforts.
"At night, the Russians attacked Kharkiv with S-300. On a city that is sleeping," lamented Volodymyr Tymoshko of the local police force on social media. The drones, he explained, were part of a calculated strategy to strike again as emergency services scrambled to respond, although they were successfully downed by air defense systems.
The strikes did not discriminate in their destruction, with reports of nine residential buildings, educational institutions, and local businesses suffering damage.
Kharkiv's mayor, Igor Terekhov, encapsulated the shock and despair of the city, pointing out the peace that was so brutally interrupted.
In response to this aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vehemently condemned the "Russian terror against Kharkiv" and appealed for increased Western air defense support to shield the northeastern region.
