An extensive assault involving drones and missiles struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals and injuring 21 others, according to local reports.
This onslaught—one of the nearly daily large-scale attacks—featured aerial glide bombs which have become a significant element of Russia’s aggressive operations in the ongoing three-year conflict.
The increase in the frequency and severity of Russian attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks has further diminished prospects for a peace agreement between the two sides. This pessimism follows Kyiv’s recent bold drone offensive on military bases situated deep within Russian territory, which humiliated the Kremlin.
According to Ukraineâs Air Force, Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight, and Ukrainian air defenses shot down and neutralized 87 drones and seven missiles.
Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X.
âTo put an end to Russiaâs killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine,â he said.
Kharkivâs mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attack also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Terekhov said it was âthe most powerful attackâ on the city since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Kharkivâs regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones. Among the injured were two children, a month and a half old boy and a 14-year old girl, he added.
The attack on Kharkiv comes one day after Russia launched one of the fiercest missile and drone barrages on Ukraine, striking six Ukrainian territories and killing at least killing at least six people and injuring about 80.
Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv.
US President Donald Trump said this week that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, told him Moscow would respond to Ukraineâs attack on Russian military airfields last Sunday.
Trump also said that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia âfight for a whileâ before pulling them apart and pursuing peace.
Trumpâs comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signaled he may be giving up on recent peace efforts.
