Several dead in Russian attack on Kharkiv

The Russian army has once again attacked Kharkiv and the surrounding region with rockets. At least seven people were killed and many were injured. Civilian infrastructure was also damaged.

Several people were killed and injured in a Russian missile attack on the city of Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine. The military governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Synjehubow, initially wrote on his Telegram channel that four people had died. Over the course of the day, the number rose to seven.

Impact in book printing

“The Russian army has carried out at least 15 strikes,” the governor said. 16 people were injured. Several people are still missing. Later, rockets again hit Kharkiv and the district town of Derhachi to the northwest. 13 more people were injured.

Most of the dead and injured were caused by a rocket hitting a printing plant in Kharkiv. A fire then broke out in the production hall. Pictures published by Ukrainian authorities showed rescue workers trying to rescue victims from the rubble and extinguish fires after the air raid on Kharkiv.

Infrastructure damaged in Kharkiv

The Ukrainian railway company announced that the attack hit tracks and infrastructure in the city and surrounding regions. Six employees were also injured. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of a “brutal” attack by the Russians. Moscow is taking advantage of the fact that Ukraine still does not have adequate air defense, he wrote on the online portal X. In addition, reliable weapons are needed to hit the positions on Russian territory near the Ukrainian border. The major states need more determination to help Ukraine, he warned.

Ground offensive since 10 May

Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine and had a population of around 1.5 million before the start of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022. Since then, the city, not far from the border with Russia, has been repeatedly shelled by Russia. On May 10, the Russian army launched a ground offensive in the region, recording the largest territorial gains in the war since the end of 2022.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has claimed that the aim of the offensive is not to occupy Kharkiv. Rather, a buffer zone should be created to stop Ukrainian shelling of Russian cities near the border such as Belgorod, he said. According to military observers, the Russian military’s actions are aimed at advancing deeper and not into the width that would be necessary for a buffer zone.

Most recently, Moscow reported the capture of another village in the eastern Donetsk region. Andriyivka, south of the city of Bakhmut, was recaptured by the Russian armed forces. The day before, Moscow had announced the capture of the neighboring village of Klishchiivka, which was liberated from Ukraine in 2023.

With information from Andrea Beer