KYIV: Russia pummelled Ukraine’s second-largest city before dawn on Saturday, killing two people in what Kharkiv’s mayor described as the “most powerful attack” there since the start of the war.
In recent weeks, Russian troops have accelerated their advance while the latest truce negotiations have failed to broker an end to the three-year war.
“Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the beginning of the full-scale war,” Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov posted on Telegram, describing a barrage of missiles, Iranian-made drones and guided bombs striking simultaneously.
“As of now, at least 40 explosions have been heard in the city over the past hour and a half,” he wrote at 4:40 am (0140 GMT), adding that drones were still buzzing overhead. “The threat remains.”
Two people were killed and 17 wounded, the mayor said. A woman was also pulled alive from the rubble of a high-rise building.
Russian attacks kill five in Zaporizhzhia, injure several in Kharkiv, regional officials say
Kharkiv regional Governor Oleg Synegubov said the wounded included two children.
“Medical personnel are providing the necessary assistance,” he wrote.
The northeastern city was already reeling from an attack on Thursday that wounded at least 18 people, including four children.
In the western city of Lutsk, near the Polish border, rescuers on Saturday discovered a second fatality from the previous day’s strikes, describing the victim as a woman in her 20s.
The aerial bombardments come days after Ukraine launched a brazen attack well beyond the frontlines, damaging nuclear-capable military planes at Russian air bases and prompting vows of revenge from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine has been pushing for an unconditional and immediate 30-day truce, issuing its latest proposal during peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.
But Russia, which now controls around one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, has repeatedly rejected such offers.
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