At least 12 dead in Russian night strikes as Kharkiv building collapses

Yesterday 14:45

At least 12 people have died following Russian night strikes across Ukraine, including a missile attack that destroyed a five-story residential building in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. Among the victims were children, highlighting the human toll of the ongoing conflict.

Rescue teams were seen sifting through the rubble in search of survivors in what was a typical Soviet-era apartment building near Kharkiv’s university and industrial districts. The city mayor, Igor Terekhov, confirmed that several children and women were among the dead, while others were seriously injured. Two boys aged 6 and 11, as well as a 17-year-old girl, were reported among the wounded.

Other attacks were reported in Chuguiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Soumy, Kiev, and Zaporijjia, involving drone strikes, artillery, and missile fire, resulting in additional casualties. Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilian transport and infrastructure.

The Russian military claimed it struck “military targets” and intercepted 124 Ukrainian drones overnight. Meanwhile, Ukrainian-installed authorities in occupied Kherson reported casualties from a Ukrainian drone attack.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Kharkiv building was hit by a ballistic missile. According to Zelensky, Russia targeted ten Ukrainian regions overnight with 29 mostly ballistic missiles and 480 drones.

The ongoing Middle East conflict, sparked by Israeli-American strikes on Iran, has also raised concerns about potential delays in U.S. ammunition deliveries for Ukraine’s air defense systems. Ukraine plans to deploy personnel to the Middle East to assist allies in countering Iranian drone attacks, hoping to secure additional missile supplies for its Patriot systems.

Despite these tensions, Moscow and Kyiv recently exchanged 500 prisoners of war each under the latest Geneva agreement, marking a rare moment of cooperation amid continued hostilities.