Four people have been reported dead and at least 28 others injured following a Russian guided bomb attack on the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
The strike hit a residential building and a playground, with the casualties including a child, according to local authorities.
Ihor Terekhov stated on Telegram that the “occupiers” had killed a child right on the playground.
He added that three other people died in a 12-storey apartment building that caught fire from the attack.
A video shared by Andriy Yermak, the president’s chief of staff, showed large flames and thick black smoke rising from the upper floors of the building.
Yermak condemned the attack on Telegram, saying “Russians hit civilians again.”
Kharkiv and its surrounding region have been repeatedly targeted by Russian strikes, especially involving highly destructive guided bombs.
In response to the attack, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Western allies to allow long-range strikes on Russian military air bases, arguing that such a strike could have been prevented if Ukrainian forces had the capability to target Russian aircraft at their bases
“A strike … would not have happened if our defence forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram.
Russia denies intentionally targeting civilians, despite the thousands killed and wounded during its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Nancy Mbamalu
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