Russia unleashes deadliest attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv yet PHOTO

Russian forces launched their most massive assault on Kharkiv since the start of the war in Ukraine, killing at least three people and injuring 17, including two children, in a relentless overnight bombardment that left parts of the city in ruins.

According to regional officials and emergency services, the attack began with waves of Iranian-made Shahed drones, followed by guided aerial bombs and a missile, striking residential neighbourhoods and industrial facilities across Kharkiv. Over the course of nearly two hours, at least 55 explosions were recorded, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

"Preliminary reports show that 40 drones, 4 guided bombs, and 1 missile hit a civilian facility, sparking a fire covering 25,000 square feet. Four factory buildings took direct hits. People may be trapped under the rubble," Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes were damaged in the attack, three of them structurally compromised. Casualty numbers fluctuated in the early hours: by 7 a.m. Kyiv time, officials confirmed one death and 17 injuries, including a 14-year-old girl and a 1.5-month-old baby. Minutes later, Terekhov updated the death toll to three.

The Kyivskyi and Osnovianskyi districts sustained significant damage. In the Osnovianskyi district, a drone slammed into a nine-story apartment building, igniting fires on the upper three floors. At least 12 apartments burned, and 6,500 square feet were affected. One woman was pulled from the rubble, and two cars were destroyed in the blaze.

In the Kyivskyi district, a drone hit a private home, killing one person and injuring another. Fires were also reported after drones struck trees, outbuildings, and homes, adding to the chaos. Later reports confirmed that a 14-year-old girl was among the injured.

On the outskirts of Kharkiv, additional drone strikes hit an abandoned barn and open areas, sparking more fires. No injuries were reported in those locations.

By Sabina Mammadli