Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile assault on Ukraine overnight on Saturday, killing at least seven people, including two children, in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia deployed around 480 drones and 29 missiles in the latest wave of attacks, targeting energy facilities and railway infrastructure across the country.
“There must be a response from our partners to these brutal strikes against human life,” Zelenskiy said in a message posted on Telegram. He added that Russia continues attempts to destroy Ukraine’s residential areas and critical infrastructure, urging international partners to maintain support, including air defense systems and weapons supplies.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said the casualties occurred when a Russian ballistic missile struck a five-storey residential building in the city. Seven people, including two children, were killed in the strike.
Emergency teams are continuing rescue operations at the site, working to clear debris and search for possible survivors.
According to local authorities, the attacks in Kharkiv also damaged seven apartment buildings as well as several commercial and administrative structures. Electricity distribution lines and vehicles were also affected.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces also targeted railway infrastructure in central Ukraine, including four railway stations. In the southern Odesa region, strikes hit port facilities, igniting containers filled with vegetable oil and damaging a grain storage warehouse.