(Kyiv) At least two people were killed and 24 injured Saturday in a Russian strike on a construction products store in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, where “more than 200 people” may have been present at the time of the attack. ‘impact.
“Russia dealt another brutal blow to our city of Kharkiv – a construction shop – on Saturday, in the middle of the day,” denounced President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram.
“At present it is known that over 200 people may have been inside the store. All services are already on site to help rescue people and put out the fire,” he added.
According to the regional governor, Oleg Synegoubov, at least two people were killed and 24 injured in this attack carried out using two guided aerial bombs.
“A large number of people are missing. There are many injured,” said Mayor Igor Terekhov.
Images posted on Ukrainian social networks showed the building from which a huge column of black smoke was escaping. According to the authorities, between 10,000 and 15,000 m2 are on fire.
PHOTO VALENTYN OGIRENKO, REUTERS
Firefighters are on site to put out the fire.
Mr. Zelensky once again called on Ukraine’s Western allies to provide more air defense systems to his country.
“If Ukraine had sufficient air defense systems and modern combat aircraft, such Russian strikes would have been impossible,” argued the president. “Every day we appeal to the world: give us air defense, save people.”
The city of Kharkiv, which had 1.5 million inhabitants before the war and located near the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine, is regularly targeted by Moscow’s forces, which also launched attacks on May 10 a ground offensive in the region.
This offensive allowed them to seize several localities and force Kyiv to send reinforcements to the sector. Ukraine, however, assured Friday that this assault had been “stopped”.
Around fifteen Russian missiles struck the city of Kharkiv on Thursday, killing seven civilians and destroying a printing press, according to local authorities.
Moscow claims the capture of a new village in the East
The Russian army claimed Saturday the capture of a new village in eastern Ukraine, located near the town of Ocheretyne where it has made rapid progress in recent weeks.
“Units of the central troop group liberated the village of Arkhangelské […] as a result of successful combat operations,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in its daily report.
Russia has been gaining ground in eastern Ukraine for months after regaining the initiative with the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive last summer and the capture of the fortress town of Avdiivka in February.
Moscow’s forces took Ocheretyne in early May and made rapid gains in this sector of the front, while elsewhere they struggled to break through the Ukrainian defenses.
The Ukrainian General Staff, for its part, indicated on Saturday that Russian forces are “particularly active” near the town of Pokrovsk, with six exchanges of fire underway near the villages of Kalynové, Yasnobrodivka and Sokil, south of the village of Pokrovsk. ‘Arhangelské claimed by Russia.
According to Ukrainian police, three civilians were killed and two injured in the past 24 hours during Russian attacks in the eastern region of Donetsk, where most of the fighting is concentrated.