Russia Strikes Apartment Block in Kharkiv, Ukraine; Three Killed and 34 Injured, According to Reuters

Russia targeted a high-rise apartment building and a bakery in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with guided bombs on Tuesday, resulting in at least three fatalities and 34 injuries, with several individuals feared trapped beneath the debris, according to local authorities.

At the same time, Russian forces launched a new assault on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, which has faced multiple strikes in recent days. This attack left seven people injured.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commented on the Kharkiv strikes, stating that they struck civilian sites—an apartment complex, a bakery, and a stadium—underscoring the impact on the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

The attacks coincided with a gathering of world leaders, including Zelenskiy, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He emphasized the dire need to stop the ongoing terror and establish security for a hopeful future.

Kharkiv’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that Russian forces targeted four districts within the city with guided bombs. Some of these explosives landed in open areas, causing minimal damage.

Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that among the injured was a 17-year-old, with four others in serious condition. Images from the scene depicted extensive damage to the nine-storey apartment building, with officials stating it had been directly hit. Terekhov noted that the building had been previously attacked at the outset of Russia’s invasion in 2022, and despite undergoing repairs, it was struck again, affecting 82 residents.

Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, along with its surroundings, regularly endures Russian assaults, which often employ highly destructive guided munitions that Ukrainian air defenses find challenging to intercept.

In Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported that guided bombs were also used in the latest strike, which led to the destruction of several private residences, leaving four of the injured hospitalized. An overnight attack on the city resulted in one fatality.

Kyiv has been advocating for support from allies to conduct deeper strikes into Russia, asserting that the most effective way to mitigate such attacks is to target not just the bombs but the aircraft and airfields from which they are launched.

Although Russia denies intentionally striking civilian targets, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands over the past two and a half years.