Russia launches massive overnight assault on Kharkiv, killing four, injuring over 60

Russia carried out a large-scale assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight and into the evening of June 7, using drones, missiles, and guided bombs.

At least four people were killed and more than 60 wounded — including a baby — local officials reported, Caliber.Az reports, citing Western media.

Kharkiv, one of Ukraine’s largest cities and situated just a few dozen kilometres from the Russian border, has been under relentless Russian shelling throughout more than three years of war.

"Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war," Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram early Saturday.

Dozens of explosions rocked the city overnight, with Russian forces striking simultaneously with missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs, Terekhov added. Multi-storey apartment blocks, private homes, educational institutions, and infrastructure facilities were among the targets.

Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said that one of the city's civilian industrial sites was struck by 40 drones, a missile, and four bombs, sparking a fire. He warned that people may still be trapped under the rubble.

Later in the evening, Russian aircraft again bombarded Kharkiv with guided bombs — an attack President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as "another brutal murder."

"It was a brutal strike on the city in broad daylight. In fact, they have been attacking Kharkiv continuously throughout the day," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. "Last night, there was a massive drone assault on Kharkiv. Now there are aerial bombs. Dozens of people have been injured in the past 24 hours."

Ukraine’s military reported that Russian forces launched a total of 206 drones, along with two ballistic and seven other missiles, across Ukraine overnight.

Air defence units shot down 87 drones, while another 80 were either diverted using electronic warfare or turned out to be drone simulators without warheads, the military said. In total, 10 locations were hit.

By Khagan Isayev