Russia has launched the “most powerful attack” on the second largest city of Ukraine, Kharkiv, since the beginning of the war.
According to BBC, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, confirmed that at least three people died after an overnight attack from Russia.
Terekhov in the early hours on Saturday said, “Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war. The enemy are striking simultaneously with missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs. This is outright terror against peaceful Kharkiv.”
He asserted that Russia launched 48 drones, two missiles and four gliding bombs on the three residential buildings, causing “a lot of damage.”
The attack came a day after Russia, in apparent retaliation to Ukraine’s drone swarm, launched massive drones and ballistic missiles across the breadth of the country, killing at least six and injuring dozens of others.
Response to Ukraine ‘terrorist acts’
Russia claimed that the aerial attack was a response to "terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime" on its military sites. Ukraine a day earlier launched drone strikes on Russian strategic warplanes at four air bases deep inside the country.
Following the Ukraine strikes, US President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late on Friday, “They gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night.”
While talking about imposing sanctions on Russia, he added, “If I think Russia will not be making a deal or stopping the bloodshed… I’ll use it if it’s necessary.”
Notably, Russia and Ukraine delegates on Monday met in Istanbul, Turkey, for the second round of peace talks, but after over an hour of meeting, they only decided to work on another prisoner swap.
