Russia launches overnight drone strikes on Kharkiv, Odesa PHOTO

Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding areas with Shahed drones overnight, injuring civilians and causing widespread damage, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SESU) said on June 20.

The strikes hit the Shevchenkivskyi and Osnovianskyi districts of Kharkiv, as well as parts of the Kharkiv district in the wider region. According to preliminary reports, four civilians — including two girls aged 12 and 17 — were injured and required medical assistance, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The attacks triggered fires at four separate locations, officials said. Among the damaged sites were the roof of an unfinished six-storey building spanning 1,000 square meters, structural elements of an outbuilding, and three hangars at a civilian enterprise covering a total of 1,500 square meters. Nearby apartment buildings and vehicles also sustained damage.

Emergency services, including firefighters, police officers, medical teams, and SESU psychologists, were deployed to the scene to assist victims and contain the fires.

The attacks on Kharkiv occurred in two waves — the first shortly after 11 p.m., and the second around 2 a.m. local time. The Shevchenkivskyi district was targeted in the initial strike, while the Osnovianskyi district was hit in the second.

Kharkiv was one of several cities targeted during the overnight drone campaign. Russian forces also launched attacks on Sumy and Odesa, with civilian infrastructure damaged across multiple regions.

As a result of the Russian strikes on Odesa, large-scale fires broke out across the city. One four-storey building was completely engulfed in flames. Emergency crews rescued three people from the site and evacuated another six.

During the rescue operations, part of the structure collapsed on the responders. Three firefighters were injured and have been hospitalised in stable condition.

A 23-storey residential building was also damaged in the attack. Fires broke out on the 18th, 19th, and 20th floors. Around 600 residents were evacuated from the building, and emergency teams rescued three people trapped in an apartment — two of them children.

By Sabina Mammadli